This Crown of Thorns
by DiBye
Summary: Maxie Jones was a beautiful liar. Ultimately it was this combination, of being too beautiful and too good a liar, that ruined the already damaged young girl. And in the process, the web of poisonous lies damn near killed the mob prince himself.
1. Beautiful Liar

_Authors Note:_ Okay this is my new story. I'm really excited about it because it's mostly mapped out already. I'm going to try really hard to update it frequently. Please let me know what you think!

Pair: Johnny and Maxie, a little Jason and Sam, possibly Nadine and Spinelli.

Timeline: Right in the middle of the current crisis. Maxie is looking for Spinelli in the fire and Johnny went in after her.

**This Crown Of Thorns**

_Chapter One: Beautiful Liar_

Johnny Zaccharra had always been a good liar, maybe even a great one. But he'd come to learn that in the presence of Maxie Jones, he was nothing short of mediocre. He'd seen some spectacular liars and he'd told some incredible lies. But Maxie Jones was in a league all her own. Looking back it's obvious that he'd truly underestimated her, to be honest no one ever gave the girl enough credit. She was smart and charming, and about a million other dangerous qualities that would take too long to mention. Most people felt like those other things didn't really matter much because above all else, Maxie Jones was a beautiful liar. Ultimately it was this combination, of being too beautiful and too good a liar, that ruined the already damaged young girl. And in the process, the web of poisonous lies damn near killed the mob prince himself, Johnny Zaccharra. When it was all over, the two of them stood up stubbornly; battered, beaten and broken. Looking outwards they saw nothing but destruction and heartache, a tangled mess that they had woven. But his hand was in hers, and maybe there was still something to breath for…

February 13, 2009

"I can't believe I'm going to die in a freakin' hospital! I'm going to burn and rot and die in this stupid building and my shoes won't even make it out in one piece. What the fuck!" With an attitude rivaling even the largest flames, Maxie Jones stomped her way through the smoke and ash garnishing the halls of General Hospital.

"I just had to be stupid, didn't I? I couldn't let the trained professionals do their job, oh no I had to go play super hero. God, I really need to stop hanging out around Lulu, the little dim-wit is rubbing off on me. Ew." Wrinkling her nose in disgust Maxie peered around a corned just in time to see a tall pillar come swooping down. Moving as quick as her ridiculous heels would allow, the blonde fashion guru evaded death. The loud crash sprang through the empty walls of the burning hospital and pulled Maxie's attention to a hole in the tarnished floor. Black, fiery, and large; the hole was standing directly in the path of Maxie's escape route. Behind her she saw fire, broken glass and a virtual dead end. In front of her she saw a hole. A big gaping hole with no way around it.

"Seriously?" She whispered. "SERIOUSLY!" She repeated, this time screaming loudly. Another loud crash sounded, following her out burst and she ducked to avoid being impaled by a large falling object.

"Spinelli!" She shouted. "Anyone?" With no answer Maxie looked around to survey her options. After a few short moments she came to the conclusion that she had no real options. Other than death that is. The windows were covered in fire and her only way out was blocked by that stupid hole.

"I hate hospitals!" She muttered angrily before stomping around to look for something sharp. There was no way in hell that Maxie would let herself burn to death. She would die on her own terms, no matter what.

"Here we go." She whispered, picking up a sharp piece of glass from some sort of window or door. Grasping it tightly in her hands she took a deep breath…

"Maxie!" A voice rang out through the thick despair like a song. Squinting to see through the smoke Maxie saw the face of Johnny Zaccharra. And what a beautiful face it was.

"Johnny!" She cried in desperation, dropping the glass at once. Later she would wonder why the idea of taking her own life had entered her mind so easily as a quick fix. But for now she left those thoughts behind and allowed a shred of hope creep into her heart.

"Maxie are you okay? Just stay there I'm going to come get you." He yelled over the roaring of the movie - like flames.

"No wait! That pole fell down and the floor is unstable. The rest of it could let go at any minute." She told him, her hope fading away just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Maxie-"

"Just get out of here Johnny."

"I'm not leaving with out you!" He yelled back, promise lacing each word. Before she could protest yet again the dark haired bad boy was out of sight.

"What are you doing?" She yelled after hearing banging noises in the distance. In only a few moments Johnny reappeared with a long wooden plank.

"Oh no. No way Johnny." Shaking her head the blonde backed away. She knew exactly what Johnny was thinking and there was just no way she was going to…

"Climb across it, like a bridge." He explain as though she didn't already know.

"Are you insane?"

"Maxie this is your only chance. Come on, just trust me." His voice was quiet under the panic and hysteria filling Maxie's head. With searching eyes she looked around hoping to see a magical solution. She only found a pair of bottomless brown orbs.

"Okay just, just give me a minute here." She breathed.

"Maxie I promise you, we will get out of this. You'll get to take over the fashion world and find your prince charming. This is not the end." He told her with as much conviction as anyone could muster in a situation so terrible.

"No prince charming." She corrected. He couldn't help but smile at her words. Her disgustingly honest words. How could someone be so brutally honest in one sense but the embodiment of lies in another?

"Fine, no prince charming. Just get your little but over here before I decide to do something stupid like go get you myself." He warned playfully, though she knew it was only barley a joke.

"Okay, okay… I'll do it." Taking a deep breath she stepped onto the shaky plank with her pointed heals.

"You can do this." He encourage.

"Shut up okay? I don't do well with a pep squad so just, just shut up." She hissed glaring at him dangerously. Putting his hands up in surrender Johnny motioned for her to continue.

"Bet you're rethinking those shoe right now." He teased, understanding that this is what she needed. She need normalcy and banter to get across that plank in one piece.

"Please, I can walk better in heals than I can in sneakers." She smirked taking a handful of expertly balanced steps. By this point she was halfway across and making it look easy.

"Impressive."

"I'm a rarity." She muttered looking down and concentrating on her steps.

"You certainly are." He whispered, mostly to himself. His eyes stayed glued to her liquidly moving form as she neared him. Crack!

"Johnny!" She looked up in fear, the board beneath her was cracking under the heat and pressure, with it her chance of safety and life.

"Run! Maxie run!" He yelled hurrying forward and catching her in his arms as she leapt across the remaining length of the plank. He pulled her close to his body and breathed the scent of her hair; a soft lavender below a mask of smoke.

"Johnny." She murmured, sounding scared and fearless all at the same time. A contradiction he would never fully understand.

"You're okay. I've got you." He whispered looking over her shoulder to see the rumble and fired that lay where she had been only moments before. He held her closer.

00000 00000 00000

The Roof of General Hospital, 8:03 PM

Jason Morgan was a calm man. He could look death right in the eye with out ever blinking. Years and years of practice had groomed him into the perfect weapon of violence and destruction. And through out all of it he would remain calm because, above all else Jason Morgan was a calm man.

"What the hell happened?" But on this particular night, the robotic hit man was anything but calm. Everywhere he looked he saw fire spread, bodies collapse and people in danger. People he loved despite his best efforts not to. He had yet to find Anthony, which was his first priority at the moment. He had seen a look-alike of his dead sister. He'd even been forced to confront a slightly manic Sonny. All in all, Jason Morgan was having a bad day.

"Trevor- the toxin- over the roof." The reply came from the slightly disheveled Sam McCall. Jason's ex-fiancé a few times over, enemy, and currently his right hand woman. No one had been as much help as Sam in this situation. This fact of course lead to the resurfacing of old feelings, feelings that Jason had thought were dead and buried. But then again, Jason was having a bad day.

"Sam just, just slow down. What happen with Trevor? How did you get the vial and end up hanging from the roof?" He questioned her in a false calm manor.

"Trevor had the vial, he was going to use it as leverage with the Zaccharra's. He, he wants to take over or escape or something. I don't know Jason, he just kept mentioning Johnny. Johnny and him were gonna be okay if they had this vial. He was talking like a crazy person. I could tell that there was no reasoning with him so we started to struggle." She explained the situation as quickly as she possibly could, knowing that time was scarce.

"Okay then what happened?"

"Well what do you think happened Jason? We were struggling next to this ledge. We both went over, I grabbed the vial, and that's where you found me." Her face was more relaxed now, the events were finally working themselves out.

"So you're saying, Trevor fell over the ledge?" Jason question to make sure he'd heard everything right.

"No. I'm saying I pushed him over the ledge." She corrected coldly before heading for the door to leave the roof. Jason stood still for a moment. He'd forgotten how she was in a crisis. Her survivors instinct would kick in and take over. She could be cold, calculating and lethal. The same way he was…

"Have you seen Anthony at all?" He asked running to catch up with her. She shook her head and made her way down the stairs expertly.

"We need to find him." Jason reiterated sternly.

"Well then, let's hurry up because this place is going up fast." With those final words the two partners flew down the stairs and made their way to a somewhat safe look section of the hospital.

"Damn it, he could be anywhere." Sam muttered as she looked around the halls of the burning building. It was then that a scream rang out. It was loud and high, a terrified voice.

"That was Maxie." Sam decided easily. She would know her friends panic laced scream anywhere.

"Maxie wasn't even here." Jason reminded her, although he too recognized the scream as his favorite blonde annoyance.

"Jason it's Maxie." The brunette calmly leveled with him. Their eyes met and with in seconds they were sprinting towards the scream. It had come from one floor down so it took a while for them to find a staircase that was usable. Five to ten minutes later they were rounding the corner to see none other than Maxie Jones and Johnny Zaccharra in a tight embrace.

"Maxie!" Sam yelled causing the pair to break apart. Johnny's hand still remained firm on Maxie's forearm.

"Oh thank god, Sam. Where's Spinelli?" Maxie questioned immediately, causing both Jason and Sam to let worry creep onto their features.

"He should be evacuated by now. And what the hell are you doing here?" Jason questioned Johnny looking anything but friendly.

"Spinelli is still in here." Maxie interrupted. "I came in to find him and Johnny came in after me."

"Why can't people just stay put?" Jason muttered under his breath. "Look, Sam why don't you help these two get out of here and I'll go find Spinelli."

"No way." Maxie argued.

"I don't have time for this Maxie! I can't sit here and argue with you. I need to find Spinelli and I need to find Anthony." Jason said the last part while avoiding Johnny's eyes.

"Wait my father's still here?"

"Yes, so just take Maxie back-"

"No."

"Would everyone just listen to me!" Jason yelled in frustration.

"Jason look, you can't do this alone. There's no way you have the time. Why don't we just split up in two groups. I'll go with you and Johnny can take Maxie." Sam tried to reason.

"It's not safe." Jason said shaking his head.

"You honestly think I would let anything happen to this girl?" Johnny exclaimed looking at Jason and then at Maxie. And then, as if things couldn't get any worst… there was another CRASH.

"Look out!"

"Sam, get down!"

"Johnny!"

"Maxie?"

"Maxie?"

"Maxie…"


	2. Crazy

Authors Note: _Here is chapter two. So this chapter was hard for me because I really want to dive into my plot but I need to wrap up this crisis first. I think the next chapter will be easier because they'll be out of the fire and what not. Stay tuned for that and for some serious mob action. Please comment and let me know what you think!_

**Chapter 2: Loud and Clear**

Johnny Zaccharra had been raised in a hostile environment, an environment that bordered on torturous. Walls of stone, gargoyle statures and fences… always fences there to lock him away. Maxie Jones had been privy to the picture perfect house that looked nothing short of the American dream; white picket fence included. Her mother and father were blonde and beautiful, essentially life sized Barbie dolls. But like most things concerning Maxie, this was all a beautiful lie. She didn't get to enjoy that lovely little house with the perfectly painted shutters. She was stuck in the hospital, with wires and tubes to serve as fences. Those life sized Barbie dolls that she called parents? They were nothing more than a pretty idea or an out of reach dream. Because the reality of Maxie's Jones's life was much less perfect than one could ever imagine. In fact, the reality had just about stolen all of the young girls dreams.

"Maxie?"

"Maxie?"

"Maxie…"

"Her pulse, check her pulse!" Sam shouted over the debris that continued to rain down on the impromptu party. Some of the roof from the floor above had began to collapse. Jason had pushed Sam aside and the two had protected themselves from the onslaught of danger. They had always been good at protecting each other from the outside world. It was themselves that they had trouble with.

"Right, her pulse." Johnny muttered hovering over her small form and lowering a shaking hand to her neck. It was then that he heard it, the most beautiful sound he could have imagined.

"Stop trying to cop a feel Zaccharra." Maxie coughed while trying to sit up. Letting his head drop in relief Johnny felt himself laughing. He had been so worried, so worried that he'd some how failed her. Which was strange considering he owed her nothing. She was his roommate, his girlfriend enemy or maybe best friend depending on the day you asked. She was nothing more than a pretty face attached to a whole lot of heartbreak.

"Jesus Maxie, trying to give us all a heart attack or something?" He smiled while taking her hand and gently helping her off the ground. She brushed her clothes of and ran a hand through her unkempt locks. Looking at her dirt cover face and smoky clothing it became clear to Johnny that Maxie was in fact stunning. It wasn't the make-up, the hair, or the clothes… it was her. He took her wrist in his hands to feel her pulse. She was standing, talking, even being snarky but he needed to feel it. God help him.

"Or something." She smirked mischievously. Yeah, she'd be just fine.

"Do you see why I need you to leave now? You're gonna get hurt and that's gonna slow us down." Jason cut in, ruining the moment. Big surprise there.

"Oh please, that could have happened to anyone. You need to pull the gigantic stick out of your gigantic ass and realize that you could actually use some help, Mr. I'm going to save the world to make up for all the people I kill as a hit man." The spunky fashion plate rambled at top speed earning raised eyebrows from both Sam and Johnny.

"The gigantic stick?" Johnny questioned trying not to laugh.

"From his gigantic ass…" Sam continued smirking with joy.

"Sam." Jason warned, only causing her to giggle even more.

"Oh come on Jason, you know she isn't going to back down. And besides, two groups is our best shot at finding Anthony and Spinelli." The brunette pointed out reasonably. She of all people knew that reason and logic were the one thing Jason had trouble saying no to. "You know I'm right."

"Fine. But we'll meet on the roof from the south staircase in 20 minutes. If we still haven't found everyone by then, we'll make a new plan." He ordered before turning to go.

"Yes sir." Maxie saluted. Jason stopped and turned back to her, giving the blonde a glare before moving along. Like a few tons of burning debris could slow Maxie Jones down. Oh please…

"Come on, let's go before you cause any more trouble." Johnny teased Maxie, pulling her by the hand and around another corner.

Fifteen minutes, 3 shattered windows, and 1 near kiss later; two hands were firmly clasped together and on their way to the roof. Maxie had search high and low for Spinelli while Johnny kept his own eyes open for Anthony. But the search was futile and both beating hearts knew that sad fact. To make matters worst the fire was becoming out of control. And it was hot, so completely and entirely hot that sanity wasn't even an option anymore. So the two unlikely allies let their minds go, and followed the sound of shallow breathing and fearfully beating hearts. This was more than teamwork. This was more than a common cause.

"Where are you Spinelli?" Maxie muttered to herself in worry. Her feet hurt but she had long since stopped complaining. Her head was pounding but she let her worry override the hammer-like vibrations. Her breathing was uneven and short but she would keep going. There was simply no way she would leave the building with out knowing that Spinelli was safe.

"We'll find him." Johnny quietly assured her. His voice startled Maxie, who'd assumed she'd gone unheard over the roaring flames. But then again, the brown eyed bad boy always seamed to hear her in a way that many never did. Most people heard what they wanted out of Maxie. She'd grown accustomed to raising her voice or saying inappropriate things for shock value. It was the only way she could be heard. No one wanted to listen to the girl who barley made it out of high school. No one wanted anything to do with the girl who seamed too damaged to even bother with. So she screamed and she yelled and she was a bitch. In the end, she was heard.

"We have to Johnny. We have to." Her words were saturated in desperation and panic. Every fiber inside of Johnny stood on end with pure emotion for this broken girl looking at him with ocean eyes.

"I told you I'd get you out of this, and I know you well enough to know that my promise includes Spinelli too." The honesty in his words were not lost on Maxie. He wasn't just saying what she wanted to hear or biding his time.

"Thank you." She whispered before they continued to move forward. Each stair they climbed seamed like a step backwards. They were moving away from an exit and away from Spinelli.

"I'll tell you one thing though Jones, you're freakin' crazy coming in here to look for Spinelli. This place is a damn oven." Johnny remarked wiping his brow and looking up too see the many stairs they had yet to climb.

"Hey, you're the one who came in here looking for me. You're no saner than I am buddy." She quipped back.

"I guess you just bring out the crazy in me." The smile on his face was brighter than any flame in the burning building.

"Well thank god for that. For a second I thought you'd become completely boring while you were with Lulu. Looks like there's still a little somethin' in you after all Zaccharra." She was fire and ice and all the things that Johnny could recognize as dangerous. But he was so tired of being good and being safe. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch the flames.

"Watch what you say Maxie." He warned playfully.

"Oh yeah, or what?" And then she was against the hard wall with his mouth on hers. The glow of the fire hot against their skin and his hand firmly on her waist. It was slow and painfully electrifying. Every nerve in Johnny's body reacted to her. He could feel the tips of her eye lashes against his face, hovering like the biggest tease in the world. His own large hands clung to her in a show of need and desire he never thought he could be capable of. It was lust and passion and everything that ever mattered to anyone in the world.

"Johnny." They broke apart for air and nothing made sense. Why was it that they could breath better through each other? Why was the act of breathing alone suddenly so painfully cold? What was happening?

"The roof." He replied simply, allowing himself to think clearly. "Sam and Jason are waiting." The dull words slipped from his mouth like a rehearsed script. This was the part he was meant to play. The idea of feeling free and alive was unreachable, Maxie was unreachable. So, he pushed her aside gently and began the final flight of stairs. His hands were empty and he never looked back.

**00000 00000**

_The Roof of General Hospital, 8:39 PM_

"Where the hell are they?" Jason's anxious voice spoke up over the deafening winds of the rooftop. The cold air and icy snow proved to be a harsh contrast to the heat of the hospital.

"They'll be here." Sam assured him easily.

"While I would never dream of questioning Stone Cold's instincts, I do have to wonder as to what his thought process could have been. I mean, The Septic son has shown nothing but heroic stigma as of late but his track record still shows inconsistencies that worry me where the fair Maximista is concerned." The rambling voice was none other than Damien Spinelli. Alive and talking up a storm.

"Johnny will take care of Maxie." Jason assured his friend in the same easy manor Sam had earlier used on the hit man himself.

"Besides, we all know Maxie can take care of herself." Sam added for good measure.

"But Maximista and the young Zaccharra both have the same unstable tendencies of risk taking. The combination of the two less than reasonable minds could be… for lack of a better word, explosive." The worry drowning in his big eyes was there for all the world to see. Just as Maxie had risked her life for Spinelli, he would do the same for her. They were best friends in a way that most people would never understand.

"Spinelli you need to just calm down. They're only a few minutes late." The encouraging words fell flat to the Jackal's hyperaware ears. The only sound he heard was that of a door banging open and then shut. The trio spun around to see Johnny and Maxie stepping onto the flat roof top.

"Of my god, Spinelli!" Maxie shrieked before running to him as fast as her heels would allow. She threw her excited arms around the shaggy boy's head and hugged him tightly.

"Maximista I was thoroughly worried about your safety in the wake of this unfortunate disaster!" His fast paced words were lost on Johnny, who stood aside watching the interaction. He had never understood the unlikely friendship, but unlike Lulu he always trusted that it was true. The scene playing out in front of him

was only confirmation of that fact.

"I'm okay Spinelli. My clothes are ruined and I don't think my hair will ever be the same-" She began to go off on a rant.

"But she wasn't leaving this damn place until she knew you were safe." Johnny intercepted. The computer genius let a soft smile overcome his features. It was plain to see that he was touched by the mere though of Maxie caring for him in such a way.

"Okay, hug later. Right now we have to be prepared. We were able to get word to Jax and he's bringing up the helicopter once last time. The four of you will be on it while I look for Anthony myself." Jason's words were met with a roar of protest.

"Enough! Look we don't have time to argue, Jax will be landing any minute and I can't be worrying about the rest of you!" he shouted.

"Who asked you to?" Sam shot back with her arms crossed and her eyes glowing. She was ready for battle and Jason knew it.

"Sam…" He sighed, not wanting to have this argument. An argument he knew she would inevitably win.

"Hey, she's right. No one asked you to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders Jason. And I don't care what you say, I'm staying to find my father!" Johnny stepped in.

"Well if Johnny's staying than so am I." Maxie added.

"What? No, Maximista!" Spinelli exclaimed.

"No way Maxie, you're getting on that helicopter and getting the hell out of here." With a set jaw and hard eyes Johnny dismissed the blonde's idea quickly.

"You said you would get us out of this. 'Us' Johnny, not just me. I'm not leaving you, not tonight." Her voice was soft again, the way it had been in the stairwell. And he heard her, loud and clear.

"Johnny, I will find your father. I have a lot invested in finding him and there is nothing that is going to stop me from doing that." Jason reasoned with the young mob mogul. As the sound of a helicopter approaching became closer, the five young people began to weigh their options. "Come on man, go with Maxie. Go see your sister, she's at Mercy." Jason knew that using Maxie and Claudia to get to Johnny was low, but it worked.

"Fine." He gritted out.

"Okay so everyone is getting on that helicopter and -"

"The hell I am Jason. You may be able to talk them into doing what you want but I will not be pushed aside so easily. This is my fight too and you know it." Sam spat out with anger and determination. Jason muttered under his breath as the chopper began to land. With in moments a disheveled looking Jax ran over to them.

"I can only fit four!" He yelled over the noise.

"You only need room for three." Jason spoke up looking anything but happy. Sam on the other hand was grinning at her victory.

"Alright then let's go." He motioned for the three younger adults to follow him. Maxie quickly hugged Sam and then a reluctant Jason.

"Hey!" Sam called attention to Johnny while Maxie shuffled after Spinelli and Jax. With a raised eyebrow Johnny turned to Sam expectantly.

"You take care of her okay?"

"She can take care of herself." He pointed out.

"I know but-"

"Yeah, yeah I'll take care of her." He nodded before hurrying to the others. Johnny was anxious for this whole ordeal to be over with. It seamed as though the night would never end. And as terrifying as it had been, a part of Johnny was even more afraid of what would happen when it was over.


	3. Naive

_Authors Note: _This chapter was little short. But that only because I needed it to end at a certain point. The upcoming chapters will start to explore the mob aspect of this story and shy aware from the current crisis. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter 3: Upside Down**

Maxie Jones was a patient woman. Contrary to what others might have thought, the blonde seductress could wait out almost anything. She was eager and anxious, and quick to go after what she wanted. But, Maxie Jones knew how to be patient. As a small child she had patiently waited for a new heart, a working heart. As a teenager she had patiently waited for her mother and father to finally get their act together and become real parents. This was how she learned that good things don't always come to those who wait. Despite this fact, Maxie continued to wait, and wait, and wait. For what, she was still unsure. Maybe she was patiently waiting for her heart to finally quit on her once and for all. The idea of impending death simply didn't scare Maxie the way it did most other people. On the contrary, it was at times, like a light at the end of a long and torturous tunnel. Death was the only sure thing Maxie had to cling to, nothing else was promised. So she waited. You see, in the mind of Maxie Jones everything was about waiting.

_The Front of General Hospital, 8:52 PM_

"Someone needs to check you out."

"You can 'check me out' just fine can't you?"

"Laying it on a little thick don't you think Maxie? Even for you." Johnny smirked shaking his head in amusement at her innuendo laced comment.

"All that smoke must be fogging up my brain. I just don't know what's come over me." She teased, giggling a bit and raising a hand to her forehead in mock exhaustion.

"I think they call it a heat wave." He muttered so that only she could hear it. The two comrades weaved in and out of the chaos that surrounded the hospital. After the helicopter had landed Spinelli hurried off quickly mumbling about the FBI and some guy named Fred. Whoever that was. This left Maxie and Johnny alone, yet again.

"Maxie!" A voice called out before the duo could continue their banter any further. Commissioner Mac Scorpio roughly shoved his way through the throng of people blocking him from his precious daughter. "Maxie, thank god you're okay." He whispered as he encompassed her in a hug.

Johnny had only ever been witness to Mac Scorpio when he was in cop mode; brutal and hard. Seeing him overcome with love and appreciation for his remaining daughter was unnerving. But at the same time it made sense. This was the only man that had been there for Maxie through everything and anything. The man that had put up with her crazy schemes and dangerous stunts. The man who had never turned away from her, who had loved her through everything. In that instant Johnny knew that Mac Scorpio was a man who deserved the utmost respect.

"Dad I'm so sorry! I know it was stupid to go into that building, I just wasn't thinking. I'm sorry I made you worry, I was being selfish." She explained earnestly. And like being hit with a brick, Johnny saw Maxie Jones for who she truly was. Loyalty ran through her like an endless stream. Those who were lucky enough to earn that loyalty and trust would have it forever. With a few simple words and twinkling eyes, every bit of truth and heart she ever kept hidden was revealed. But it was only for a moment, and then it was gone.

"Oh Maxie, you were trying help a friend. It was a bad idea but, we'll talk about that later. Right now you need to get some medical attention. Your heart-" He began to lecture the soot cover blonde but she intervened quickly.

"My heart is fine, really."

"But you've inhaled a lot of smoke."

"I wasn't in there that long."

"She's lying. We were there for at least half an hour commissioner. And, she's been coughing for a good twenty minutes." Johnny revealed earning an intense glare from Maxie.

"Way to be a tattle tale Johnny. Wanna steal my shovel from the sand box too?" She snapped in frustration.

"Maxie…" Mac warned.

"Dad…" She whined back.

"Honey look, why don't you just let someone take you to Mercy. Robin and Patrick are there with Emma and you can go see them after someone checks you out." It seamed as though Mac was not above using Robin and Emma to get Maxie where he wanted.

"Ugh, fine. Let's go Johnny." She ordered, violently pulling the young man's arm. With a roll of his brown orbs, Johnny followed obediently.

"You're going with him?" Mac called out, sounding none too happy with the new development. Sure he had wanted her to go to a hospital, but not with a mobster.

"I have to check on my sister anyway. It's no problem commissioner." Johnny shouted back as Maxie continued to drag him through the crowd of people.

"Just, just be careful." Mac yelled helplessly shaking his head. Grabbing Johnny's hand in her own, Maxie never did look back.

00000 00000

_Mercy Hospital, 8:55 PM _

"Lulu, is that you?" Came the voice of Carly Corinthos, Alcazar, Corinthos, Jacks_… _whatever. If the woman had as many ounces of self control as she did last names then the world would surely be a better place.

"Carly! I'm so glad you're okay." Lulu exclaimed, running up to her beloved cousin and hugging her ash cover frame tightly. The loud display of relief was unnoticeable in the chaotic traffic of Mercy Hospital. With the overflow of patients from both the storm and General Hospital, things were messy to say the least.

"I wish I could say the same for my idiotic husband." Carly grumbled looking like a two year old who had just been told no. The image would almost be humorous if it wasn't so serious.

"Oh no, did Jax have to do another helicopter run? I though they'd called it off after the winds got bad." Lulu wondered out loud. Carly rolled her eyes and lead the younger girl to some chairs.

"They did. But Alexis was freaking out about Sam being stuck up there so Jax volunteered to go get her and the remaining people trapped. I mean I understand that he wants to help out but, why does he have to be so damn noble all the time? You'd think a little of my selfishness would have rubbed off on him by now but no, he has to go play hero." She ranted looking worried and upset. Lulu placed a consoling hand on her dirty shoulder.

"He'll be okay Carly. He'll come back to you." She smiled easily. The older woman smiled back in appreciation. "Besides, at least you know where Jax is. I can't even reach Johnny!" And the moment was gone. It was unfortunate but, Lulu often had trouble focusing on the problems of other people for too long. It seamed as though she wasn't even aware she was doing it. Like some sort of chemical reaction, the blonde Spencer was inclined to turn every conversation into the Lulu hour. This of course was no different.

"Wait, you don't know?" Carly questioned looking surprised. She had assumed that Lulu knew where Johnny was. But apparently she'd assumed wrong.

"Know what? What do you know about Johnny?" The panic was evident in her hurried words.

"Well, he's okay. I mean he was okay the last time I saw him." Carly began, doing her best not to alarm the overly emotional girl. Everyone knew that it didn't take much for Lulu Spencer to freak out and loose control.

"Just tell me already! Where is he? Was he at the hospital? What!" She exclaimed, growing more alarmed by the second.

"Lulu just calm down okay? He's in the hospital-"

"What do you mean 'in' the hospital?"

"Well if you would let me finish…"

"Carly! Just tell me already!" Her shrill voice caused a few heads to turn.

"He went inside the hospital to find-"

"What? He went inside to find me? Didn't anyone tell him I was okay? How could they let him go inside? I need to get to GH right away." She hurried to pick up her things and Carly moved to stop her.

"Lulu wait! You don't understand." But her words were of no use. Lulu had her mind set and there would be no stopping her. Just as she turned to head for the exit, two figures made their way through the door.

"Johnny!" Lulu yelled, smiling in relief. She sprinted across the crowded room and launched herself into his arms. It took the youngest Zaccharra a moment to react to her show of affection. Pulling back to look at him she smiled even wider.

"I can't believe you went in that burning building for me. You shouldn't have done that! But that doesn't matter, I'm just happy you're okay." The words felt bland and emotionless to Johnny's tired ears. Every color in the room fell flat. The electricity he felt to his left was the only thing that let him know he was alive.

"Me too. I mean, I'm happy you're okay." He forced a smile and did his best to respond when she kissed him on the lips. But it was so hard, so incredibly hard. It was as if Johnny had gone out into the storm and left his favorite pair of boots at home. And now that he'd reunited with his boots, he found that he was too big for them. In less than 24 hours he'd outgrown something that he could've sworn would last forever. Everything was upside down.

"Maxie!" Lulu exclaimed, turning to the girl on Johnny's left side. It was as if she was noticing her blonde 'friend' for the first time. "Were you in the building too?" She questioned naively.

"Uh yeah, I went in to find Spinelli." Maxie explained simply.

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine, the FBI swept him right up when we got out of the helicopter. Apparently he's crucial to their big bad investigation or something. Frankly I think the FBI and their over pressed suits need to take a hike because all they're doing is making the situation worst." Her exaggerated tale earned an amused grin from Johnny and ironically enough, Lulu.

"I see you haven't slowed down a bit." Carly noted as she joined the group. Johnny threw the older woman a questioning glance. It seamed as though she had failed to mention that Johnny had entered the burning hospital with the sole purpose of finding Maxie.

"You know what they say about adrenaline. So ah anyway, I'm going to go check in on Robin and Emma. I'll see you guys later." Maxie excused herself, unable to stand the tension that would inevitable become unbearable.

"Wait, Maxie." Johnny's soft voice halted her movements. She cautiously turned around, avoiding his eyes at all cost. It was then that Lulu finally noticed that there was something different between them. She watched on in curiosity as Johnny stepped forward and closed the distance between himself and Maxie. Barley a breath of space was between the two. It was an intimate stance despite the lack of physical contact.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do, okay? For you or your family." Maxie met his sincere words with a short, though meaningful nod. Another long moment passed before she was able to push herself away from his presence and make her way to Emma's room. Walking away from him felt like the equivalent of two magnets being forced apart.

"I didn't know that Robin and Emma were here." Lulu spoke up, jolting Johnny from his thoughts. He continued to stare at the hallway where Maxie had just disappeared down.

"Johnny?" She questioned.

"Sorry." He replied before clearing his throat and turning his attention to his girlfriend. Girlfriend; he repeated the word to himself over and over again. But it simply didn't match up anymore. The picture of Lulu in his mind and the word girlfriend. It was as if his entire being was sending off a message; Error, error, error. "I guess she was running a fever earlier. Robin tried to get her to the hospital but her car broke down. Maxie and I found them in the snow and took them to the hospital. That's when we found out that the place was in shambles. We brought Emma here to Mercy and it turns out she's got pneumonia." He explained.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Carly questioned with genuine worry.

"I think so, she's doing much better before we left."

"So wait, you were with Maxie earlier?" Lulu asked in confusion. Things were beginning to make less and less sense to the often times clueless blonde. The more time she spent with Johnny, the weirder he was acting.

"Yeah, we were both driving on this narrow road and our cars almost collided. Her car went off the road and she hit her head pretty bad so I found us some shelter until the storm let up a bit." As he continued to list the events of the evening Lulu grew more worried. Something about his story just didn't fit.

"Hold on a minute, did you and Maxie decide to go into the hospital to find Spinelli and I together, or?"

"About that, look Lulu there's something you need to know…" And with those words there was no going back.


	4. Dare

_Authors Note_: Okay so I know I keep saying that everything with the crisis is almost over but this time I mean it. The next chapter will include a really important talk between Johnny and Maxie. The chapter after that is going to fast forward a few days and then the plot will really thicken. So please let me know what you think. 3

**Chapter 4: The Day From Hell**

Robin Scorpio was a perfectionist. Anything short of amazing was a failure in the doctor's well trained eyes. With practiced precision Robin soured through life with one goal in mind; perfection. Some might even call her unusual eagerness for order to be an obsession. Robin's life looked as if it were ripped right from the pages of a fairytale. The modest start, the long struggle, and finally the happy ending. To the outside world, Mister and Misses Drake had everything anyone could ever hope for. But Maxie Jones, wasn't most people. She saw the day to day trials that Patrick and Robin faced as new parents. She felt the panic and stress roll off of them in waves. Most of all, Maxie saw Robin fade slowly into a dull image of who she used to be. The brunette's perfectly balanced world had suffered a huge upset and now she was frantically grasping aimlessly for the remains. Robin thrived off of the need to be perfect, the need to reach that goal. And now that she saw her life spinning farther and farther away from that perfection, Maxie knew that Robin would slip away.

_Mercy Hospital, 9:19 PM _

"Maxie we can't thank you enough for everything you've done tonight." Patrick gently gave thanks to the blonde, his soft smile saying more than his words ever could.

"I'm just glad Johnny and I were able to help." She replied sincerely. Out of the corner of her eye Maxie saw Robin, looking nervous and fidgety.

"Well when you see Johnny, make sure to let him know how grateful we are." He added. His gaze soon fell on Emma, her steady breathing was a comfort to them all. He then glanced over to his wife and felt a pang of worry tap at his heart. Something was wrong with Robin, it was becoming more and more obvious each day.

"Yeah, I'll uh, I'll let him know." Maxie answered, unsure of the tension that had surfaced between the married couple. Robin had barley spoken since Maxie had arrived and from what she could tell, Patrick was worried. "I'm gonna go grab some coffee, can I get you two anything?"

"No I'm fine, thank you." Patrick answered politely. Maxie looked to see if Robin had an answer but, she seamed to be in a trance of some sort.

"Robin?"

"Huh? Oh, ah no, I'm fine. Thank you Maxie." She smiled unconvincingly and looked away again. Patrick avoided Maxie's eyes, knowing that they would reflect the same worry as his own. And for the moment, he just couldn't bare to face the truth of the situation. For the moment he just wanted to watch his little girl breath. In and out, in and out…

**00000 00000**

_Mercy Hospital, 9:02 PM _

"Hold on a minute, did you and Maxie decide to go into the hospital to find Spinelli and I together, or…" Lulu trailed off, unsure of the situation that she was hearing unfold. Only a minute ago she had been so happy to see Johnny, so sure that this crisis had put their relationship into perspective.

"About that, look Lulu there's something you need to know about Maxie and I." In his heart Johnny knew that telling Lulu was the right thing to do. In reality it was the only way that they stood a chance.

"What is it? Johnny you can tell me anything." She was looking at him with her wide eyes, brimming with hope. Hope of a future between the two of them. Hope that Johnny couldn't bring himself to crush, not like this at least.

"It's just that, I went into the building to find Maxie." He admitted nervously. The least he could do was be honest about that fact. Looking up he saw Carly give him a nod of approval. It seamed as though she hadn't expected him to tell the truth. If only she knew the half of it.

"What? I don't understand…" She looked hurt and lost. Normally Johnny would have felt protective or empathetic. But tonight he only felt annoyed. He was annoyed that she was getting emotional, annoyed that he had to be dealing with this.

"I knew you were safe by the time Maxie and I got to the hospital." He lied. "But Maxie found out that Spinelli was still inside. She went in after him and I couldn't just leave her in there." He tried his best to explain the circumstances with out igniting any of Lulu's jealous tendencies.

"You went into a burning building… for Maxie?" She slowly worked the situation out by repeating the information slowly. The questioning look in her amber eyes Johnny wanting to run for the hills.

"I couldn't leave her there Lu, I just- I couldn't." He sighed, unsure of a different way to explain things. The emotions that were swirling inside of him were enough to make him sick. There was fear mixed with relief and a whole lot of guilt to top it all off.

"No, no of course you couldn't. That was really, really brave of you Johnny. I'm just glad you're okay, you and Maxie." She forced a smile and did her best to accept what Johnny had told her. But her blood was boiling and her eyes were stinging, and there was simply nothing she could do to stop that. Lulu Spencer could be a selfish bitch. She could be self serving, hypocritical and judgmental. But those qualities were simply the side affects of the overlying issue.

Lulu Spencer had never grown out of being that insecure little girl who wanted her mommy to wake up and her daddy to come home. And those insecurities were always driven into ultra drive where Maxie Jones was concerned. The problem was that they were too damn alike. They were both blonde and beautiful, chalk full of attitude. And it wasn't their many similarities that seamed to push each other's buttons so expertly; it was their few crucial differences. Where Maxie was brash and unapologetic, Lulu was full of excuses and acts of innocence. Where Maxie was brutally honest, Lulu sugar coated the truth and twisted words to better her own purpose. Where Lulu was equip with naivety in the form of rose colored glasses; Maxie Jones saw the world in shades of grey.

"Yeah we got pretty lucky. Look Lulu, I wish I could stay with you longer but I need to go check on Claudia." His words served as another blow to Lulu's already bruised heart and ego.

"Of course. Do you want me to maybe… come with you?" She questioned carefully. Mentally she cursed herself for even bothering. It was no secret that she hated Claudia Zaccharra. There was simply no good reason for her to visit the dark haired temptress, even if she would only be there to support her boyfriend.

"No, thanks for offering but I think Claudia would be more comfortable…"

"Right, sure. Come find me later okay?" She did her best to keep herself from sounding desperate. But the look on Carly's face was a sure sign that she had failed.

"Uh yeah. Yeah okay." He responded half-heartedly.

"Come on Lulu, why don't we see if we can get a hold of that deadbeat dad of yours." Carly urged, taking Lulu gently by the arm and leading her away from Johnny. Rubbing a hand over his tired face, the dark haired man signed. This was only the beginning of the end for him and Lulu and he had a feeling, that things were going to get much worst before they got better.

**00000 00000 **

_Mercy Hospital, 9:12 PM_

"What the hell was he thinking? God that little fruit loop just has him completely wrapped around her tiny little finger, doesn't she? Well I'll show her what happens when little girls try to play damsel to a Zaccharra." Claudia ranted and raved in anger. Sonny had just informed her that Johnny was heading into the building when he and Carly were heading out. Apparently the news was more upsetting to her than he had foreseen.

"He's a grown man Claudia. He'll be fine." Sonny did his best to calm her down, but nothing seamed to be working. The less worried she got, the more angry she seamed. At this point Sonny was wishing that she'd just go back to worried.

"Fine? The flippin' building is on fire Sonny! And that blonde twit just had to put herself right in the middle of everything. What was she doing in there anyway? I thought Lulu was evacuated before I was!" Her voice raised with each passing word.

"Wait Lulu? I never said anything about Lulu." Sonny corrected, furrowing his eyebrows. Something must have gotten lost in translation somewhere along the way.

"You said, that when you saw John on the stairs he was looking for someone. You said he couldn't even bother to be stopped for more than a second." she repeated his earlier claim.

"That's, that's right. He was in a real hurry but he did stop long enough to tell us, that he was, he was looking for Maxie Jones. The police commissioners daughter." The Latin mobster explained the situation slowly this time, doing his best to relay the correct information.

"What? Maxie Jones?" Claudia questioned in disbelief.

"That's what he said." Sonny replied holding his hands up in surrender.

"Well you know what, I don't care who the hell John was chasing after. Someone better make sure my brother gets out of there alive or I swear to you, this town will have another crisis on their hands."

"Aw, all that for me sis?" Johnny's teasing voice rang through out the room as he stepped into the doorway.

"John!" Claudia exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her bed with delight. Her smile illuminated the cold room, and caused both Sonny and Johnny to smile along with her. "Come here you big idiot." She ordered.

"I'm going to go check on some things, I'll be back a little later though." Sonny informed his wife with a short wave. He nodded in greeting as he passed the youngest Zaccharra and watched as Claudia smacked him upside the head.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?"

"What were you thinking, huh? Running in a burning building to play hero to some little Kate Howard wannabe. Are you out of your mind?" She questioned seriously.

"You wouldn't understand Claudia." He answered shaking his head.

"You're right I don't understand. I don't understand why you would risk your life for some girl who up until this point, has meant nothing to you." She countered.

"That's not true." He responded automatically. At his sister's raised brow he continued. "Maxie and I are friends, and roommates. Look she went into the fire to help Spinelli and I just, I couldn't leave her."

"You couldn't leave her? Why were you with her to begin with?" She questioned, a curious glint behind her dark eyes.

"It's a long story, but we've, we've helped each other out a lot tonight. She's not like everyone thinks Claudia. She just puts up this act… kind of like you." He smirked when Claudia rolled her eyes in response.

"Do you like this girl or something John?"

"I'm with Lulu."

"That's isn't what I asked."

"It's none of your business Claudia."

"You do like her, don't you?" She exclaimed looking overjoyed at the prospect of Johnny falling for someone besides Lulu. Johnny just shook his head and looked away. "Well if it helps at all I think she's a definite step up from that shrew you call a girlfriend. But you need to be careful John, Maxie is trouble. She's the kind of trouble I am and we both know how that could end up."

"Nothing's going on Claudia, we're just friends." He repeated, mostly for her benefit but also for his own. The grin on his sisters face let him know that she hadn't bought a word of what she said. "Would you stop it!"

"Fine, fine… for now. But only because we have to talk about something, something important." Her mood went from teasing to serious in the blink of an eye.

"What is it?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

"It's about Michael's shooting…"

**00000 00000**

_Mercy Hospital, 9:23 PM_

After leaving Claudia's hospital room, Johnny had wandered the halls of Mercy. He was anxious to leave the hospital but hesitant to return to the apartment. And the news that his sister had just given him, weighed heavily on his mind and heart. Apparently Kate Howard was aware of the Zaccharra's involvement in little Michael Corinthos's shooting. Talk about the cherry on top of the day from hell.

"You come here often?" A voice quietly startled Johnny from his thoughts. He looked up to see his newest companion staring down at him through thick lashes and pure beauty.

"Only when I'm in the area." He played along, smiling at the welcome distraction. After walking through the halls aimlessly, Johnny had landed in front of the hospital chapel. Though he had never been a religious man, the idea of god and heaven had always intrigued him. Most of all he wondered about hell. But, he wasn't brave enough to actually walk inside the religious sanctuary. He'd simply sat himself against a wall, only a few feet away from the large oak doors.

"Mind if I sit down?" Maxie asked, kindly. Motioning with his hand, Johnny nodded in acceptance. He may have come here to be alone, but Maxie's company was like a burst of fresh air. The funny thing was, until she'd arrived he hadn't even known he'd been suffocating.

"How's Emma?" He asked with real concern behind the standard words.

"Much better, they're thinking of releasing her as early as tonight." She informed him with an easy smile. The heat from her shoulder brushing up against his own was enough to make him scream.

"That's good. I'm glad she's going to be okay."

"Patrick is really grateful for what you did."

"I didn't do a thing, you were the one that never gave up looking for them. I was just the support behind you in case those heels of yours snapped." He bumped his shoulder with hers playfully and inhaled deeply at the effect she had on him.

"Just shut up and accept the gratitude." She fired back.

"Whatever."

"How's your sister? I heard she was really brave with the poison and everything." Maxie questioned sincerely.

"She's doing well. I mean, she's hassling me so she must be feeling better." He joked. The whole conversation felt like another world. A world away from all the guilt and worry of the night. A world where Johnny could be Johnny and Maxie could be Maxie. Why wasn't it always this easy?

"I heard you're father hasn't been found yet."

"I don't wanna talk about my father."

"I understand."

"That's nice of you to say Maxie but, you really don't."

"And why is that?"

"You don't want to get into this with me right now." He signed in frustration. Just when things had seamed so perfect, so easy… everything came crashing back down. Maxie was just like everyone else. She thought she could understand him, maybe even fix him but, there was just no way. A Zaccharra was like a different breed of human. There was no understanding his family.

"Try me."

"Maxie…"

"Tell me all your darkest secrets Johnny. I guarantee you, I can match each one." Her words were like a dare. And everyone knew that Johnny Zaccharra couldn't back down when it came to a challenge.


	5. Okay

_Authors Note_: This is the last chapter that will take place at Mercy. The next chapter will be starting almost an entire week later. So get ready because things are going to start heating up.

**Chapter 5: Lingering Flames **

_Mercy Hospital, 9:25 PM_

Sonny Corinthos was a layered man, with a soul that remained hidden to all the world. He let woman into his heart easily, time and time again. Sometimes they would hurt him, but more often than not if would be the other way around. And as easily as Sonny loved, he hated. One wrong move and you were dead to him; both figuratively and literally. No matter how many woman Sonny loved, there were very few people that he trusted. Johnny Zaccharra could relate to that. Growing up as a Zaccharra had taught the young mob prince that even family was capable of betrayal. And though she had tried, Lulu had not been able to break down his concrete walls completely. In fact, she wasn't even aware of how many walls she'd yet to scale. You see, Johnny Zaccharra and Sonny Corinthos were a lot alike is a sad sort of way. They were selfish and entitled; ruthless and mean. But where Sonny was through with placing his life in the hands of others, Johnny had only begun to truly figure out what trust could mean. And it all started with a tiny little blonde girl and her ridiculous high heels.

"Try me."

"Maxie…"

"Tell me all your darkest secrets Johnny. I guarantee you, I can match each one." Her words were like a dare. And everyone knew that Johnny Zaccharra couldn't back down when it came to a challenge. In a moment his face became hard and his eyes were ready for battle. If Maxie Jones wanted to play hardball, then Johnny wouldn't hold back.

"My father shot my mother when I was a child." He blinked in a casual sort of way, to let Maxie know that it would indeed get worst.

"My heart failed when I was younger. They thought I was going to die." Her words signaled the fact that it would take more than one shocking admission for her to back down.

"He was aiming for me." Johnny continued his previous confession.

"My cousin BJ died instead, I got her heart." Her voice was flat and practiced.

"I assaulted a cop a few months ago, I didn't like the way he was talking to Lulu." He waited for a disgusted look to cross Maxie's face. It never came.

"Your sister offered me ten thousand dollars to seduce you. Twenty thousand if Lulu caught us in the act." The new information sent Johnny's eyebrows to his hairline. Before he knew what was happening, images of everything they had ever shared together flew through his mind. The talk of hopes and dreams, the kisses, the fire…

"What?" He uttered.

"Your turn." She offered, her face still even and unaffected. She wasn't going to budge anytime soon and if he wanted answers then he would have to play along.

"When you kissed me at Crimson, I think I started to kiss you back." His words were softer now, more intimate. Although he had managed to regain his composure after hearing news of his sister's involvement with Maxie, he was still shaken. It wasn't as if his sister's actions were out of character for her. But the thought of Maxie playing him, using him; the thought was more unnerving than he was willing to admit.

"I accepted Claudia's offer. I said I'd seduce you." She informed him.

"You impressed the hell out of me the night that Logan was killed. The way you kept your cool and covered for Lulu, I didn't expect that." Johnny did his best to stay calm and focused. This was a game, meant to prove to Maxie that she could never handle him. God forbid he let her know that he was the one that couldn't handle her.

"I never went through with it though. After Logan died, everything turned upside down. There was no time for some stupid sex deal anymore. And even when things were back to normal, I couldn't go through with it." Just as quickly as she had shoved him down, she raised him back up. Everything between them, he hadn't just imagined it.

"I think I'm falling out of love with Lulu."

"I know that Spinelli is in love with me." She replied sadly, her eyes dropping into her lap. Johnny had a feeling that this was the first time she'd admitted that to anyone, including herself.

"I was involved in Michael's shooting." And there is was, the secret that had plagued Johnny for months. The words that he had yet to utter; the truth. Her eyes shot back up quickly, searching his own for answers she would never find.

"I was going to kill myself before you showed up to save me in the hospital." She finally spoke, as if his words didn't have the potential to unearth a bloodbath.

"Maxie, did you hear what I said?" Confusion was etched in each bone of his face.

"I thought to myself, I can't just burn to death. That pain can not be the last thing that I think or feel before I die." She was staring at the wall in front of her now, it was as if Johnny wasn't even there. "So I found a piece of broken glass and I was gonna, I was gonna slit my wrists. I figured it wouldn't be the easiest way to go."

"Maxie."

"And then I heard your voice. It was like my head was buzzing with all of this adrenaline. Everything was so loud but I still heard your voice. Then I realized that it wasn't over yet. I had, I'd given up too soon. I mean what kind of person just accepts their own death like that? And you wanna hear the sickest part? I wasn't even scared, not really at least. I felt almost… calm." She finally looked over and stared into Johnny's eyes. Her own blue orbs were brimming with unshed tears. The pending water reflected the vision of a girl who was so completely lost that she'd given up hope.

"You're okay now, I told you I'd get us out of there and I did." He assured her, his own secret temporarily forgotten.

"That's the thing though Johnny, I'm not okay. Nothing about me is okay. There are moments where I feel like I'm out of my fucking mind. I'm not okay." Her words sliced through the quiet hall like a promise. There was simply no argument in the world that could undo what she had become. Years of lies and loss had carved soul into bitter, shattered pieces.

"To me you are, to me you are…" He repeated as his hand slid over her soft cheek. He could feel the wet tears make their way down her perfect face. Unlike Spinelli, Johnny could see every single tortured piece of Maxie's heart. But he wouldn't try to fix it, or heal her in any way. Johnny wasn't interested in who she could become or what she had been. Who she was at that moment was enough for him.

"You never meant for Michael to get hurt did you?" She questioned him abruptly, her voice still quiet. He shook his head immediately, meaningfully.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that. Everything went wrong." He choked out, feeling the emotions of the past few months catch up with him all at once.

"You're okay." She whispered, finding his face with her own hands. And for just one moment, Johnny believe her. Believe that he could be okay as long as she was looking at him like that.

"Why'd you tell me about, about what happened at the hospital?" He finally asked.

"I've spent most of my life just waiting to die Johnny, waiting for everything to make sense. That feeling, that looming shadow, it's all I really know. But you, you've been waiting your whole life to finally live. You were so trapped for so long, just waiting for the chance to breath all the fresh air you could find. And I think, it's time for the both of us to stop waiting around. What happened to Michael was terrible, but it's not your fault and you can't change it anyway." Maxie spoke with conviction and a knowing air that threw Johnny for a loop. No one had ever pinned him down so effortlessly. It reminded him of that moment in the elevator. The moment when he saw her and knew that she saw him true; all if him.

"You're saying I should just let it go?"

"No, I'm saying you should hold onto it, let it shape you and even break you a little. But don't let it stop you from living. One day we're both gonna be dead Johnny and, I think it'd be a real waste for us to throw away the time we've got left." With those final words, Maxie closed the space between them and let her lips fall onto his. It was sweet and it was soft; slow and searching. As they continued to kiss, traces of tears melted between them and mingled as one.

**00000 00000 **

_General Hospital, 9:30 PM_

"Let go of me you hooligan!"

"Mr. Zaccharra, it seams the fire has spurred a miracle of some sort." Alexis Davis observed as she took in the sight of him stumbling along. It was evident that Anthony was in fact, able to walk.

"Get this thug's hands off of me!" He yelled with an insane glint in his eye. Jason had dragged the mob head out of the hospital with his one good arm. A coughing Sam was close behind, making sure the guarded boss would stay in their grasp.

"Jason, I think we can take it from here." Alexis nodded.

"Fine." He responded, dropping the older man with a thud. Seconds later a team of medical personnel were loading Anthony into an ambulance.

"We found the bastard wandering the south stairway like a lost little puppy." Sam informed her mother, breathlessly.

"He's no puppy, he bites." One of the nurses who had helped check over Anthony's injuries replied in passing.

"What were you thinking Sam, huh? You could have been killed." Her voice was still laced with professionalism. Sam shuddered at the impersonal words.

"I wasn't." She responded icily. Before Alexis could say anything more Jason stepped in.

"Look, Sam helped save a lot of people here tonight. I think you can lay off the lectures for a minute and just let her know you're glad she's safe." His defensive words caused both woman to widen their eyes.

"Uh, thanks Jason." His former flame added uneasily.

"Of course I'm glad she's okay. You know I'm glad you're okay don't you?" Alexis finally turned to stare directly at her daughter. Their difference scared the powerful attorney but the thought of losing Sam… well that scared her a whole lot more.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Sam whispered back. Before another moment passed the two woman embraced. It was then that Sam felt most like the little girl Alexis had wanted so badly for so long.

"I'm gonna go check in on Spinelli." Jason interjected carefully, not wanting to ruin the connection between the two.

"Alright. Hey, tell him I'll be by to see him later on." Her words were met with a nod that said more than either were ready to look into.

"So, you and Jason…" Alexis began, sounding like a teenager hunting for the best gossip. Sam laughed and rolled her eyes. She didn't even know where to begin.

**00000 00000 **

_Mercy Hospital, 9:40 PM_

"John- oh sorry to interrupt." The voice of Sonny Corinthos snapped Maxie and Johnny from their kiss induced haze. After sharing a few more meaningful kisses, they had lapsed into a comfortable silence. A silence filled with understanding and ease. Maxie had gently placed her head on Johnny's willing shoulder and rested her eyes. This is where Sonny eventually stumbled upon them.

"Is Claudia okay?" Johnny questioned immediately. Maxie's hand unconsciously wrapped around his bicep in a show of support.

"She's, well the doctor says she's doing fine. It's about your father." He clarified, still a bit put off by the scene he'd discovered.

"Is he dead?" The words were cold and sharp. But Maxie didn't flinch, and that filled Johnny's heart with hope and longing.

"No, they're bringing him in right now. Claudia wants to see you before he gets here." With a final nod Sonny turned back around and walked away.

"Damn it." Johnny signed, slamming his open hand against the wall behind him. It would never end, the insanity of his family. It would never end.

"Did you want your father to die Johnny?" Maxie wondered quietly. In and instant his head snapped in her direction. Her question was layered with curiosity and comfort. Where was the shock and disgust that he'd been waiting for. The uncertainty that people felt when they looked upon him in his most raw state of being. He was wishing for his father's death and she wasn't running.

"Yes. I think I did." His horse voice penetrated through out the empty hall.

"But a part of you is relived that he's alive… isn't it?" This was more of a statement than a question. A dare to say otherwise. But this time, Johnny would not meet her challenge. He knew that she was right.

"Yes."

"Some people don't understand how you can love a person and hate them all at the same time." Her words were honest and real, in true Maxie fashion.

"But not you right?" He smirked sadly, the weight of his situation crushing him more with each passing second.

"I don't know how to love with out hating."

"That's brave of you to admit."

"You should go to your sister Johnny." Maxie finally said, snapping them both from their intimate conversation.

"Maxie I-"

"You should go." She insisted.

"Fine but, just know that you can't ignore what happened tonight. Everything's gonna change now Maxie." She refused to meet his searching eyes. Finally he gave up and sighed in frustration. A moment later he was gone.

"Great, just great…" She muttered to herself.

February 7th, 2009 was the night that changed everything for Maxie Jones and Johnny Zaccharra. Every part of who they were, had been put on the line and exposed to one another. And now they were left with too many feelings and no real options. Johnny was in the midst of an oncoming mob crisis and he simply did not have the time or energy to fall in love with a girl who was in no way his girlfriend. Maxie had finally started to get her life together. She had good friends, a great job and the ambition to take her life even further. The last thing she needed was some insanely good looking time bomb of a man to strut into her life and refuse to leave. It was far too much trouble for the both of them. But trouble was inevitable when it came to the disastrous pair. And no matter how hard they tried to water down the lingering flames, their fire was in no way through burning.


	6. Hate

_Authors Note_: Okay so here we go! This is going to be the beginning of a new section of my story. Everything up to this point has been a base. My style is going to be a bit darker now, though I'll still add my sarcasm and humor when it fits. I'll be focusing more on the mob aspect now as well. But no worries, Johnny and Maxie are still the plan.

**Chapter 6: Life and Death**

_Click, clank, click, clank... _

Heals; Sharp and biting. With the ever echoing 'click, clank' sounding through out the enormous walls of the exquisitely decorated house, a shadow cast itself. Each step vanquishing inferiority with certainty, with power. Through the never ending hall the heals carried their owner, until they rested to look over the balcony. Eyes darted to search the room below for anyone who might be milling about. There was no one. A hand crept dangerously to an antique table, a deep cherry wood, sweeping over the surface with grace. When it's journey ended the drumming fingers landed upon a delicate glass music box. Large in size and priceless in taste, the manicured hand felt each and every detail of the box. Opening it carefully, with purpose, a melody filled the previously silent air. With an eerie volume the 'ting tang' of the music box hit cords in the surrounding individuals heart. Beat by beat.

"Hum, hmm, hmm, HMMM, Hum, hmm..." Meshing flawlessly with the mechanical instruments music, a voice hummed along. Softly the sounds caressed the surrounding area. Wordlessly the young woman's remaining hand sliced through the air, literally with a knife. The gleaming mettle stretched two inches wide and four long. It was a weapon to kill and it seamed out of place in the delicate hands of such a seemingly frail woman. The point of the knife tapped the edge of the table, keeping pace with the song.

"_Dancing bears, painted wings. Things I almost remember_." The weakened voice whispered the words to her favorite lullaby. She may have been recovering from a poisonous toxin but she could still sing. As the words flew through her vocal cords she could image the strong voice of her mother singing them to her in bed. It had been so, so long ago. Before the wars had begun. Before she was forced to grow up too fast. Lullabies were for children; she could barley remember that feeling.

"_And a song, someone sang. Once upon a December_." The music rang though out the halls, catching the attention of a young man who had entered the large house only a mere few minutes before. Making his way down the long corridors unsuspected, the man drew closer.

"_Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully across my memory_..." With the rise of her voice, the young girl slid the knife across the music box and let the scraping sound fill her ears. With a gentle 'ping' the knife pressed against the figure of a girl that would stand upright on a spring when the box was opened. With dark locks flowing freely and a petite frame, the figure held a striking resemblance to the girl in question.

"_Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember_." As the song seamed to near it's end the knife skillfully sliced it's way through the thin spring that held the figure upright. The melody continued as the figure became detached from the box. Taking it in her free hand the woman let her heals 'click, clank' back over to the balcony and drop the glass piece over it. Watching it fall with unwavering eyes, she listened for the short sound of it smashing to the ground. Satisfied with her work, she purposefully stepped back to the music box as the younger man approached. He was in her eye sight now, but her eyes refused to resister him as she slapped the music box shut with the knife. Though the song hadn't ended yet, she was done.

"_And a song, someone sings_..." She sang the last few lines solo while walking away from the music box and standing in front of an oil painting. The boy watched from the hallways end as she studied the painting. Rich colors were used to create the vision of a stunning woman. Expensive clothes adorned the woman's body and her face held a look of contempt. Oddly enough, the girl eyeing at the painting was wearing a similar face.

"_Once upon a December_." The note was held longer than needed as the knife plunged into the painting with force and anger. Marring the perfect canvas it stuck deeply into the picture's center.

"Claudia." The young man finally spoke up, calling attention to the seemingly hypnotized girl. Calling attention to Claudia Zaccharra. She looked over at him, loosening her hold on the knife but not quite letting it go. With a curt nod she accepted his presence.

"John." Was her only response. It was easy to figure out that the two young bodies adorning the lavish hallway were related. Their features, though decidedly unique, were similar and familiar. Dark hair and dark eyes, unquestionably Italian. Claudia and Johnny were siblings. And more than that, they were best friends. Though his relationship with Lulu had put a strain on their bond, the tie would never truly break.

"You've been out of the hospital for less than a day and you're already destroying valuables?" He questioned lightly with no underlying surprise. He knew her, as she knew him. Her actions would seam irrational and even insane to most. But, not to Johnny. The Zaccharra Prince was aware of what drove his sister to do the things she did and he would never judge her for it. Not ever.

"Destruction tastes sweet." The brunette replied simply, eerily, before letting go of the knife. Shaking his head at her words, Johnny walked closer to examine what she'd done.

"The blood that runs through you scares me sometimes. You're a Zaccharra through and through." He commented, not taking his eyes away from the now tarnished painting.

"Your blood is my blood Johnny." She teased. Smiling at her words, Johnny showed off his perfect teeth. Like everything else about him, they were clean and shining. He was handsome, the exact picture one would have in mind when thinking of a prince. And maybe that was one of the reasons he always seamed to have girls chasing after him. The wrong girls. But, there was a dark shadow that seamed to follow both him and Claudia everywhere. They were Zaccharra's. They were damaged goods.

"So it is." He relented before turning to her seriously. "You need to lay of the cryptic dialog though Claudia. We both know you aren't as murderously disturbed as you like to act. The past few months at Sonny's, away from this place, it helped you loosen up." After the hospital crisis had come to a close, the real crisis began to take shape. The mob was brewing to shake Port Charles to the core and the Zaccharra's were right in the center of that. Anthony had called a meeting at the Zaccharra mansion between him and his kids. And that is what brought the two siblings to their father's dark and cold abode.

"I hate this place." She muttered rolling her eyes and for a moment seaming like an average twenty something year old. That's what Johnny did for her. A feeling of normalcy and joy entered her system when he was near. He was her rock, and she was his. How could it have been any other way given their upbringing? When faced with deathly situations and a tyrant for a caretaker, it was only natural that they had become close.

"You don't live here anymore Claudia, try and remember that." He reassured her.

"And you John, can not forget who we are just because we're living in different places for now. What makes you think the peace will last forever?" She argued defiantly. While the two were close, they also were comfortable enough to go head to head at times. Their core personalities were similar, broken but hopeful. But, their traits were different. While Johnny was openly caring and brave, Claudia was a mystery.

"There's still peace." He stubbornly bit out, fear lying with in his liquid eyes. Claudia chuckled bitterly, in the way that gave her brother the chills. It was just like their father's laugh, just like Anthony. Johnny hated when he saw glimmers of his father in Claudia. They were few and far between but, they were there. And how could they not be? Since birth he had been in and out of their lives. Guiding them and shaping them. Telling lies and teaching lessons. Punishing and praising. Through hell and back; that is where Anthony had taken them.

"Keep telling yourself that baby brother. Things are quiet now but, how long does that ever last? Daddy knows that his life is in jeopardy and he'll want to strike before Sonny and Jason get the chance. And guess who's right in the middle of it all?" She finished sadly. And there is was. The part of Claudia that let Johnny know she could and would never become Anthony. The defeated, scared look in her eyes. It was always there, sometimes more blaringly so than others. It constantly reminded Johnny just what their father had done to them. He knew that Claudia hated him, the same way he himself did.

"I know." He finally agreed quietly. Then, with out a word Claudia ripped the knife from the painting. Johnny looked up when he heard the thump and watched as she tossed the knife carelessly over the balcony.

"What if someone was down there?" He asked simply. They both knew that no one was.

"Daddy has a meeting with the DA this afternoon. They want to questioning him about the fire. He won't be back for hours. Though I'd only be so lucky as to impale him by accident." She finished, giving a genuine smile at her last comment. Johnny chuckled along and whipped a hand over his face.

"God I hate her." Claudia murmured looking up at the painting. It was of her mother, the woman who had sung to her when she was young. The woman who had essentially abandoned her.

"Hey, what happened to the discussion we were gonna have?" He asked, trying to sway her mind from the pain of her past. "I thought that was the whole point of us getting here before 'you know who'."

"You're right." She snapped back to reality and let her face take on a cold, businesslike structure. "We have a lot to talk about. Starting with you and your little blonde girlfriends." Did she say girlfriends? As in plural? Crap.

**00000 00000 **

"Crimson, please hold. Crimson, please hold. Ms. Howard will be with you in one moment. Clarice? Hold on, I'll put you right through." The office jargon flew from Maxie's mouth expertly. When the annoying sound of the phone finally quieted she took a deep, soothing breath. It had been one hell of a day.

"Hey! I'm so sorry I'm late." Lulu rushed off of the elevator, her usual apologies already in progress. Maxie rolled her eyes and waited for the irresponsible blonde to continue telling her of some 'important' reason for being absent for most of the day.

"Save it Lulu." She decided she really wasn't in the mood to listen to the whiny tone of Lulu's voice.

"I was trying to get a hold of Johnny." She rushed on as Maxie began to jot down notes. "You know, he's been so weird lately… distant. But anyway, it took forever and I never even got past his machine, otherwise I would have been here sooner."

"That's a terrible excuse Lulu, even for you." Maxie dismissed the other girl with a withering look. Lulu's mother dropped open in it's usual 'you mean you aren't my biggest fan' shape. "Here, just make sure everything on this list gets done. We have a lot to do before the benefit."

"What is Kate thinking? I mean, doesn't what happened at the hospital just prove even further that our town is not the place for big events. We all know something is gonna go wrong." She replied taking the papers from Maxie's outstretched hand.

"So we should just forget that it's woman heart health awareness month? Yeah, that seams like a logical solution." The blue eyed power-house scoffed.

"You know that's not what I meant. It's just… it's only been a few weeks since the hospital burnt down." Lulu explain.

"And if we stop our lives because we're scared, what does that prove? We have to keep moving forward, it's the only way to get past something that terrible. Trust me, standing still is the best way to feel the sting." Maxie spoke as her fingers tapped away furiously on the keyboard in front of her.

"Wow, that was actually sort of deep Maxie. A little wisdom from a fortune cookie?" She questioned moodily. Snapping her head up, Maxie let her annoyance be shown.

" Tragedy can happen all over a long period of time or, all a once. But that doesn't really matter because it all still hurts the same. You just have to keep moving because life doesn't stop for your pain. That happens to be a little wisdom I picked up when my sister and boyfriend both died with in weeks of each other. So if you're done being a spoiled brat, I'd really like to avoid getting chewed out by Kate. Just for today." Each sharp word Maxie let out stabbed at Lulu's ego.

"Maxie I didn't mean to-"

"Yes you did. But if you really want to make it up to me than you'll shut up and work." With those final words the girls began quietly kept busy at their desks. Ten minutes later a clear ring came from the exquisite purse beside Maxie's desk. Scrounging through the bag she finally grabbed a hold of her cell phone.

"Speak fast, I'm busy." She answered, without looking to see who it was. Lulu briefly turned her attention to Maxie's call, a curious expression adorning her face.

"It's me." The deep voice of Johnny Zaccharra filled Maxie's ears and heart. Biting her lip she fought to keep her face neutral.

"Oh, hey." She lamely responded. Ever since their time together during the storm, things had been tense between the two. They avoided each other for the most part but thoughts of their fiery chemistry were simply unavoidable.

"I need to see you." He stated simply. Maxie knew she should ask him why, maybe even deny his request all together. Spending time with Johnny would cross boundaries that she really had no business crossing. But, the fiery blonde was never one to follow the rules. Georgie had always teased her about being rebellious and stubborn. And, there were times when these accusations where certainly no laughing matter. Her thoughtless 'leap first ask questions later' tendency had been responsible for many consequences in Maxie's past. Trouble; that was Maxie Jones.

"When?"

"Right away."

"Where?"

"The bridge, the one next to the park."

"I'll be right there." And with that she snapped her phone shut and ran a nervous hand through her hair. What the hell was she about to do?

"Is everything okay?" Lulu asked. For the first time since her phone had rung, Maxie noticed her coworker.

"Uh, yeah. I just, I really need to do something. If Kate asks I'll be back in an hour." She explain while gathering her belongings. Lulu looked at her suspiciously.

"What's going on Maxie?" She questioned.

"Nothing I just, I have to go. My cell with be on if you need anything." Her rushed words left no room for more discussion. And with the echoing click of her heels Maxie was gone.

**00000 00000**

As the cool breeze picked up, the brown grass nearby shook ever so lightly. It was a small movement. Undetectable to the eye of someone who didn't pick up on details. But, detectable in the eyes of Maxie Jones. The blonde had a knack for seeing things others did not. The same way she had the ability to hide the most important parts of herself. Maxie knew better than anyone that what you see is not always what is there.

"Come on Johnny, where are you?" She muttered impatiently. She had been waiting for the secretive bad boy for almost five minutes now.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." His voice sent a warm tingle up her spine as he approached.

"Whatever, just tell me what's so important that you had to 911 me while I was in the middle of single handedly keeping Crimson on it's feet." She replied, hiding her true self in a sea of selfish words and implications.

"I need your help." His simple statements were really starting to piss Maxie off.

"Okay, enough with the cryptic mumbo jumbo. You have exactly one minute to convince me that meeting you here was actually worth my while." Her eyes never met his as she spoke. She couldn't let that happen. Every time she looked into his eyes she saw memories, memories just waiting to be made.

"I need you to help me break Lulu's heart." He answered, laying it all out on the table.

"I thought we were over that little glitch. I'm not sleeping with you just so you can save Lulu from your tortured little soul." She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"What if I told you it was a matter of life and death?" Well, that certainly did change things…

_Authors Note: _I really enjoyed writing this chapter. There isn't as much JoMax in it as I would have liked but, no worries. They'll be in the next chapter a lot. Also let me know what you think of Claudia in this chapter. I've never really written her in length before. I'm not sure how it turned out. Comment!


	7. Bitch

_Authors Note_: Okay here is chapter 7, the beginning of everything. Look forward to lies, backstabbing, deceit, and plenty of lust. Things are about to get tuned upside down!

**Chapter 7: Promise Me**

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

The pinching noise of an impatient clock sounded in Maxie's head. Her entire life had been a waiting game. Waiting to die, waiting to live, to love, and ultimately waiting out the loneliness that came with losing the people you care for the most. But ever since Port Charles' most recent storm, it was as if Maxie was waiting for something she just couldn't describe. She couldn't name it but she could feel it.

"What if I told you it was a matter of life and death?" Johnny spoke with certainly and purpose. His words did in fact change Maxie's perspective on the situation.

"Who's life and who's death?" She responded, arching one perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"It's Lulu." He simply stated. She looked away from him for a moment and gazed across the bridge. They were standing close enough together that they could reach out and touch hands but far enough away that their worlds still seamed miles apart.

"Of course it is." Her sarcastic comment served the purpose of hiding her churning feelings. Here she was having inappropriate thoughts about another girls boyfriend. And the whole time she was think about Johnny, he was thinking about Lulu. Lulu and Lulu's safety.

"Look Maxie, what I'm about to tell you… it has to stay between us. If you were to tell anyone, I mean anyone…" He stressed the last few words with care.

"I can keep my mouth shut." She insisted.

"I'm serious, I'm taking a huge risk here." He warned.

"Well I never asked you to. So you're obviously in a huge pile of trouble or else you wouldn't be asking for my help. You need me right now so please spare me the pinky promise and blood oath… I'm not gonna tell anyone your damn secret. Just get on with it already." She spat.

"You need to know that when I tell you this, everything is gonna change. And if you don't think you can handle it then you need to tell me now." This was her way out, her way away from him and everything he made her feel.

"Tell me." With just two words Maxie set in motion a series of events that would change their lives forever.

"Claudia and I just wrapped up the meeting from hell with my father." He began, keeping eye contact with the beautiful blonde. If he was going to be able to tell this story the whole way through, he would need an anchor; something to keep him grounded and in control. And he had recently discovered that there was no better anchor than a set of clear blue eyes attached to a life time of complications.

"I don't know what you've heard but, ever since the fire at the hospital Sonny has unofficially declared a war with my father. It seams as though he's been faking his need for a wheel chair. In fact, he's well enough to try and kill Claudia." The last part was said with an edge of bitter hatred.

"He tried to kill her?" Maxie questioned, squinting her eyes in disbelief.

"Yeah, at Mercy after she was evacuated. He obviously didn't succeed but, that doesn't mean he won't try again. Most of his secrets are out in the open now and he's got nothing to lose. In the case of my father that can be very dangerous." He explained.

"Having nothing to loose is dangerous in anyone's case. It's where recklessness stems from." Maxie added.

"Well my father was insane to begin with, now he's just embracing it a bit more. Claudia didn't even want to meet with him but she knows how he is. If you don't give him exactly what he wants, when he wants it, then he'll destroy something of yours. He's like a two year old in that way." Although Johnny didn't say it, Maxie got the feeling that the 'something' Anthony would destroy was more like a 'someone'.

"So what happened at the meeting." Her words had taken on a gentle quality.

"He tried to act like he was never going to kill Claudia, like it was all a game. He kept saying that he wanted us on his side, he wanted the Zaccharra's to stand together." Johnny chuckled humorlessly at the idea of his family displaying any sort of real unity.

"It was all an act." Maxie caught on to the tone of his voice. The brooding boy next to her looked startled at her ability to read the situation so easily. That fact brought a simple sense of comfort to Johnny. It wasn't much but, it was enough.

"Yeah, oh yeah." He let out a long breath. "Before we even met with him, Claudia and I agreed that I would go along with whatever he said. She's going to openly stay loyal to Sonny and I'm going to return to my father. And the funniest part of this whole goddamn mess, is that, we all know we're playing each other. It's all a lie, every fucked up deal we make." His hands gripped the railing in front of him tightly, knuckles turning white.

"Johnny…"

"My father is playing us, and we're playing him. Hell, I bet Sonny's playing us too. And if anyone ever finds out about what really happened to Michael? Well then Claudia and I are heading straight to the morgue." He finished angrily.

"Hey, I hear it's not so bad there." Maxie offered lamely.

"Maxie." He smiled despite the seriousness of the conversation and shook his head. With a startling ability to knock one off their feet, Maxie possessed qualities of both comfort and cruelty. The combination was deadly. And even at a time like this, with so much going on, Johnny knew that he was a goner.

"So why do you need my help?" She quickly avoided the light of his smile, turning the subject back to darker topics. "Want me to seduce daddy dearest and screw him so hard he goes into cardiac arrest?"

"That's not even funny." He warned, the thought of her and his father making him want to vomit. He gripped the railing even harder.

"Blah, blah, blah, I'm a slut and that was inappropriate to say. I get it, now why did you call me here?" She asked impatiently.

"You know why I called you here Maxie."

"No way, we already went over this."

"You're the only one who can do this."

"Really? I could have sworn there are a few bazillion other people in the world with boobs and a vagina." She fired back crudely.

"But none of them are you." He spoke with honesty and meaning. There was a slight breeze in the air. Not a cold one, yet it still raised goose bumps on the arms of the boy and girl who were each struggling with their own inner battles. Then again maybe it wasn't the breeze at all. Maybe it was the tension, thick and apparent, following admission of something they both knew to be true.

"You know she'd find a way to forgive me if it were anyone but you." He whispered shakily. She nodded in agreement. Lulu had a pathetic way of showing her devotion. In her sick attempt at recreating her parents love story, she had somehow convinced herself that Johnny was it for her; the one. Because of this, she would never really be able to see him for who he was. She sugar coated his flaws when he wanted her to embrace them. She held him tighter when he wanted her to let him go.

"Okay, I'll do it." She finally spoke.

"I know it's asking a lot… too much. But I don't know what else to do Maxie, I just- everything is so fucked up." He dropped his head into his hands and sank into the silence.

"She's going to hate me. She's going to hate me and every ounce of progress we've made is going to go down the drain. Working together will be hell and living in that apartment together won't even be an option. My life is going to be scrambled around so completely that I'll have to basically start over. And Lulu's life will be the same hell that she dealt with the last time I set out to hurt her. Only this time you won't be there to pick up the pieces." The strangled voice she used etched itself in Johnny's very soul. Then, he found tears in his own dark eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered brokenly.

"She'll hate me, but at least she'll be alive." Her words were a masked plea for him to never apologize for this again. She understood his reasons, his predicament. Words like 'sorry' never fixed anything.

"I wouldn't ask you to do this unless I had to. But my father, he'll go after her when he needs leverage Maxie." Johnny continued to explain himself, although he already knew she understood.

"Stop it. I know okay, I know why we're gonna do this." She snapped. The entire conversation had given her emotional whip-lash and she was getting moody. Johnny nodded, before looking down at his hands. "When?" She questioned shortly.

"Soon. With in the next few days I think." They were talking as though it were simply a business deal now. It was all either one could bare to do.

"It'll have to be believable." She pointed out.

"We can both come home late tonight, and be as unavailable as possible for the next day or so. It'll make her paranoid." He suggested.

"Okay. I guess, we can work out the rest of the details later." She looked away and focused on breathing. "I need to get back to work." She finally said.

"Maxie…" He began.

"No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job as a well intentioned home wrecker." She smiled widely, but her heart was breaking. Her life was finally on the right track and now, it was all about to crumble. Everything would be ruined. Her friendship with Spinelli, her civil relationship with Lulu, that proud look in Mac's eyes… Everything she had worked so hard to turn around was about to be destroyed.

Sparing Johnny one final glance, Maxie turned to leave. A strong grip stopped her in her tracks. "Promise me something." Johnny begged quietly.

"I don't do promises." She answered flippantly. He continued on as though she hadn't spoken.

"Promise me that no matter what happens because of this, or how different we become, promise me that we'll never forget who we were that night." His soft words spoke of the night both he and Maxie hadn't been able to forget. The night of the snow storm.

"I don't make promises." She repeated, this time using a voice full of emotion.

"No matter what happens…" He looked deeply into her eyes as he spoke. She shook her head in frustration and pulled her arm from his grip. Void of noise but plentiful in volume, Maxie's footsteps strode across the cold, hard ground. Not bothering to look back, she continued to march.

"I promise." She finally whisper, when she knew she was far enough away from him that he wouldn't hear. It was a promise was to herself.

**00000 00000**

"Where were you?" Lulu's agitated voice filled the room as soon as Maxie stepped out of the elevator. She had been gone just over an hour and Lulu was hovering like a puppy who hadn't been let outside to the bathroom in days.

"Is Kate in?" Maxie asked, ignoring Lulu's previous question completely.

"No, but that's not important-"

"Not important? You really don't have a clue about holding a job do you Lesley Lu." Maxie rolled her eyes and began trifling through the papers on her desk.

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Lulu exclaimed.

"Okay new rule, when we're at work the only subject that we will be discussing is work." With an air of finality, Maxie ended the conversation.

"Fine, I'll just grill you about it when we get home." The less fashionable blonde smirked proudly.

"Whatever floats your boat Lu Looney tune. But fair warning, I might not be home until late tonight." Maxie replied.

"Where are you going to be?"

"Uh hello? Are you really that forgetful? No non-work talk while at work. God, we just went over this!" Maxie skillfully played the role of the annoyed, shallow, ditz to a tee. If she was going to help Johnny, then she would commit to it fully. Because when Maxie Jones ruined lives, no one was left standing.

"But-" Before the blondes could argue any longer, the ding of the elevator sounded. And as the doors slid open, both girls were shocked to see Claudia Zaccharra and her too-tight dress step into the office area.

"Hello ladies. Is the bitch around?" She asked, ginning like wild.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lulu questioned, with more attitude than she really knew what to do with.

"Do you have some sort of obsession with knowing everyone's business all of a sudden Lulu?" Maxie snapped, her nerves were currently being pulled in all directions. "Kate's not in, try back later." She flatly stated, looking at Claudia and then back to her work.

"Fine then, I guess I'll have to deal with one of you." Claudia decided. She pretended to be put out by Kate's absence. But the truth was, the dark haired madwoman had know that Kate would be out. In fact, she had specifically chosen a time when Kate would be gone to stop by Crimson. Claudia wasn't looking to talk to Kate, she was there to speak with a certain blonde fire cracker.

"Excuse me, deal with us?" Lulu questioned her incredulously. Claudia continued to ignore her brothers greatest mistake.

"And since the matter requires both subtlety and intelligence… I guess it'll have to be Maxie." Lulu scoffed at Claudia's underhanded criticism.

"I'm kind of busy right now." Maxie barley looked up from her work. She was not in the right frame of mind to be dealing with someone like Claudia.

"Oh trust me sweetie, you're not too busy for me." The daring look in her eyes made Maxie think twice about refusing her again. Finally, the blonde slapped down her pen and began to stand up.

"Lulu you can go for the day. I'll finish up everything here." Maxie dismissed the wide eyed girl.

"But-"

"Hey! I'm giving you the precious opportunity to go find your stupid boyfriend and spend the day with him." Maxie urged.

"What about-"

"Look, to be honest I'll get everything done a lot faster with out you. I need to handle this business matter right now and you need to leave. So scat." She shooed her away.

"Fine. Just remember this the next time you whine about me not doing my job!" Lulu snapped, grabbing her things. She shot Claudia a fierce glare before stepping onto the elevator.

"Like you have any room to talk about whining!" Maxie yelled as the doors closed and Lulu disappeared. "Idiot." Maxie muttered to herself.

"Impressive." Claudia noted out loud.

"What?" With an arched eyebrow, Maxie questioned the older woman.

"You, you're impressive. I mean, the way you can stand there and act like you aren't crawling out of your skin just to know why I want to talk to you. Because we both know I didn't come here to see Kate." Claudia's words brought with them the reality of the situation.

"So why did you come here?" Maxie asked.

"To find out what the hell is going on between you and my brother." Damn, this day was just getting worst and worst…


	8. Real

_Authors Note_: Okay so, the plan will go into motion in the next chapter. I'm really excited to get it going and see what everyone things. This chapter was supposed to include some other characters but that didn't pan out because JoMax interacting was longer than I had expected. Anyway, comment and let me know what you think.

**Chapter 8: Train Wreck **

_Drip, drop, drip, drop._

The bitter stench of annoyance and anxiety dripped from the veins of Maxie Jones steadily, like a broken faucet that no one could fix. Now that the seal of hyperaware anger had been opened and exposed to the world, there was simply no stopping the onslaught of pure chaos that would surly ensue. Maxie Jones had endured a long and disappointing day. And now? She was ready to let her inner bitch out of it's cage, god help anyone who stood in her way.

"So why did you come here?" Crossing her arms and jutting her hip, the blonde created a vision of undiluted attitude.

"To find out what the hell is going on between you and my brother." Claudia was prepared to use even the dirtiest weapons if it meant getting the truth out of the infamous liar.

"Is that so, detective Zaccharra? Wait, it's Corinthos now isn't is? My apologies." Smirking easily, Maxie let Claudia know that she was far from intimidated. The young girl had gone up against more terrifying odds than that of Claudia Zaccharra.

"You think you're clever don't you cupcake?" She whispered in response, an angry edge lacing each word.

"I think you're wasting your time. I'm not scared of you Claudia, I'm not scared of Johnny and I'm not scared of your psychotic father. In fact, the whole Zaccharra family is a big joke; It's like you're all stealing dialog from old Soprano's re-runs and then reading it wrong." Claudia scoffed at the blonde's words.

"You really have no idea who's you're dealing with little girl." She warned, taking a threatening step forward.

"Oh please, so your in the mob. Big whoop, join the other 60 percent of Port Charles. You're all black wardrobe and fondness for leather doesn't exactly strike fear in my frigid little heart. I've seen worst, I've befriended worst, hell I've dated worst. You- are nothing special." With those final words Maxie turned her back to the dark haired beauty and marched over to her desk. She waited for the inevitable click, clack that would follow. Claudia wasn't done with her yet and she knew it.

"And you are more stupid than you look if you think you can talk to people like that, people with power. You Port Charles brats were never taught any respect were you?" She questioned her in response.

"A: You can't tell me what to do. B: I have no reason to respect you, you dirty whore. And C: You can't tell me what to do!" She said raising her voice with every word. Claudia's eyebrows shot up, surprised at the blonde's sudden outburst. She had only ever witnessed Maxie when she was calm and collected.

"Enough with the games Blondie, you are going to tell me what I want to know and you're going to tell me now." Looking at the clock Claudia saw that this little meeting was taking far longer that she had anticipated. "Or so help me god, I will destroy every piece of your life… starting with your good friend Spinelli." And then, Maxie had the audacity to do something that actually left Claudia reeling. She laughed.

"Go right ahead Xenia Warrior Princess. Give it your best shot. Because history has proven that the only bitch with the power to ruin my life… is me." Smiling sweetly Maxie punched away at the telephone and listened to it ring on the other end. "Hello, this is Maxie from the Crimson office, we're gonna need some security to escort a Mrs. Corinthos off of the premises. And if you could please hurry, she's getting a bit aggressive. Thank you." Claudia stared open mouthed as Maxie hung up the phone and turned to face her.

"And for the record, if you want to destroy my life… you'll have to beat Johnny and I to the punch. That is what we've been talking about, that is what we've been planning." She explained honestly.

"What's the bigger picture then? There has to be a bigger picture." She wondered curiously as the elevators sounded and two large men made their way over.

"You'll have to ask your brother that question." Maxie answered.

"Ms. Corinthos, you'll need to come with us." One of the men said sternly. He went to grab her arm but she brushed his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" With a dangerous look in her dark eyes, Claudia turned and headed for the exit. With out glancing back in Maxie's direction she called out, "It was a surprising pleasure Maxie. I look forward to similar encounters in the future."

"I look forward to the day when some stray bullet pops one of your disgusting fake boobs you oversized Angelina Jolie wannabe!" She yelled as the doors to the elevator came to a close. Sighing tiredly, Maxie dropped her head into her hands. It was then that she wondered for the millionth time in her life, why she broke so easily, so completely.

"What is wrong with me." She whispered, a helpless plea to the devil himself. Hell could not be worst than this, it could not be worst that the life Maxie was enduring. Every second of every day was filled with pain so real that it made her shake. And if it wasn't for that pain, than there was a good chance she wouldn't even know she was alive.

**00000 00000**

"Twice in one day? We've got to stop meeting like this Jones." The voice of Johnny Zaccharra filled Maxie's ears. She looked up to see the moody mob prince making his way down the peer and over to the bench she was occupying. After she finished her work at the office, she had wandered down to the peer in hopes of spending some quiet time alone. The water had always calmed her frantic nerves.

"People will talk." She responded flatly, playing her part.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He questioned, seeing the defeated look in her pale blue eyes. He sat down next to her and quickly became aware of the tingling through out his body. She did things to him that he couldn't even describe.

"Nothing, everything…" She trailed off hopelessly.

"I thought I was supposed to be the cryptic one around here." He attempted to lighten the mood, but her eyes remained dull and lifeless. "Maxie come on, what happened?"

"You may want to let your sister in on our little arrangement." She finally answered, switching topics with ease.

"Claudia? Wait a minute, did Claudia say something to you?" He questioned.

"She's a little territorial when it comes to you. Like a mother bear protecting her cub, only with creepier subtext." The blonde quirked an eyebrow and smirked. It wasn't a smile, but at least it was something.

"What did she say Maxie?" He asked seriously. And just like that the roles had reversed. Johnny was now the somber one and Maxie was cracking desperate jokes. They always seamed to compliment each other in that way. Their broken, jagged pieces fitting together perfectly.

"Oh you know, the usual. I'm a big bad mob wife, slash daughter, slash sister, slash psycho, slash your throat if you don't tell me what I want to hear." She rambled. Johnny gave her a hard look and she threw her hands up in surrender. "Okay fine, she wanted to know what the two of us are up to."

"How does she know we're even up to anything?"

"I don't know, maybe she's been lurking in the bushes. Although her attire really doesn't blend well in nature." Maxie crinkled her nose in disgust.

"I'm sorry she bothered you, I'll talk to her." He assured the blonde.

"Whatever, it's not like she scared me. I can handle your sister Johnny. Our conversation was even, dare I say entertaining." She smiled mysteriously. Johnny shook his head and chuckled.

"There is absolutely no one in the world like you Maxie Jones. And I do mean that in a good way." He replied smiling.

"You know I get that a lot, the first part not the second."

"Well it's true, especially the second part."

"We'll see how you feel when this whole thing is over. More than likely you'll be singing a different tune." She pointed out. All Maxie could think about was her bet with Logan, and how terribly it had turned out. The bet had been made by both Logan and Maxie. But in the end, it was as if she was the only one at fault. The only one who paid.

"Maxie, I know this is hard for you. You're risking a lot and you stand to lose everything. But I really do think that it'll turn out okay. The people who love you… they'll stand by you." He tried to comfort the bitter blonde.

"There's only so much a person can put people through. Eventually even the most loyal, strong willed people have no choice but to walk away from a train wreck." She told him, her words spoke of the few people who had stood by her in the past.

"You're more than a train wreck, everyone can see that. Even if they don't want to admit it, they can see that you're more!" He insisted.

"I'm a joke, okay? I might put up a good front but I'm not as clueless or careless as I seam. Do you think I miss the looks I get when I walk into a room. It's like I'm bleeding to death and no one knows how to make it stop. No one can make it stop, so no one wants to go anywhere near me in case it's contagious. In case my fucked up excuse for a life will somehow attach itself to them. So they all just watch me bleed, and I act like I don't care. I just push through everyone and let the blood drip everywhere, and they all stare. Do you know why they all stare Johnny?" Her words stung at Johnny's heart. He looked away.

"Exactly. They stare because they don't know what else to do. No one knows what to say to me or even how to look at me. So they stare until they can't take it anymore… until they can't watch someone die any longer. Then they look away and pretend like I was never there. So I yell and I cause a scene. I do it so that they can't ignore me. If I'm gonna stand there and bleed to death in front of all those people, then you better believe they're gonna witness every second of it." He could see her tears now. The ones that stabilized deep with in her orbs and fought to stay unseen. Behind the Smokey makeup and the stylish clothes, there was a girl who was screaming inside. Johnny just wished he knew what she was screaming for.

"I want to say the right thing…" He whispered, looking up to meet her eyes. She blinked rapidly and let a few tears fall from her enticing eyes.

"I've been dying my whole life Johnny. I woke up one day with BJ's heart and I've never been the same. Her beautiful, perfect heart… they said it was a match for me but, they were wrong. It can't be a match, not when I feel like this. I shouldn't be the one left standing. But I am, and because of that I get to stand here and bleed for the rest of my miserable life. So you see, it doesn't matter whether I'm a perfect Samaritan or an evil bitch. People are always going to look at me and see my past. They're always going to see the blood and the death and the mistakes. And I'm always going to let them see it because… well because I don't deserve to be ignored." She finished with a long sigh and then looked away.

"I don't see how anyone could ever ignore you Maxie." He finally replied, taking hold of her hand.

"Oh yeah, wasn't it you who ignored my advances in favor of boinking Lu Loser?" She joked, wiping her eyes and erasing evidence of her mini-breakdown.

"I think a part of me knew from the moment you walked down those stairs at the ball that I'd let you get the best of me. And there was absolutely nothing I could do. I avoided it for as long as I could Maxie, I dodged you in everyway I knew how. But I always knew we'd end up here." He admitted, looking her directly in the eye.

"And where exactly is 'here'?" She questioned quietly, his honest words having startled her.

"I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that we are so tangled up in one another that there's no getting loose." He lowered his face so that it was hovering just over hers, and his hands found their way to her back.

"What if I told you that I don't want us to untangle?" She breathed.

"Then I'd say we're on the same page." With those final words both Johnny and Maxie leaned into one another's embrace and kissed.

"Johnny wait." Maxie uttered, breaking the kiss. He leaned in to reconnect their previously fused lips, but she pushed him away. "We can't." She insisted.

"Why not? We're obviously attracted to each other and it's not like I need to worry about staying committed to Lulu anymore. We're about to break her heart, we might as well make it real." He argued.

"It is real Johnny, it's about as real as it can get and I think you know that." She snapped, stepping away to put even more space between them.

"You know what I mean Maxie. The whole point of this is for Lulu to think that I've been cheating on her with you." He continued to make his point.

"No. That's where you're wrong. The whole point of this is to save Lulu from catching a bullet fired by your father or some other mob goon. The point is to save that inconsiderate little fruit loop's pathetic life!" Maxie yelled, slamming her hand against a wall. Time stood still for a second and the echo of silence filled the thick air.

"I- I'm sorry." Johnny finally said, hanging his head.

"I told you not to say sorry anymore. It doesn't help." The blonde replied.

"I know that you're only doing this because you care about Lulu." He told her, letting her know that he understood why she had gotten so upset only moments ago.

"And you. Okay? I'm doing this for the freakin' Romeo and Juliet aspect of it all. And if by some miracle we all get out of this mess alive, I'm sure you and Lulu will find a way to work things out." Her words were soft and sad.

"I don't think so." Johnny sighed.

"Lulu loves you Johnny, and us betraying her is not going to change that. Eventually she'll decide that she wants you back. And if history has taught me anything it's that Lulu gets what Lulu thinks she deserves." Stepping forward she placed a soft hand on Johnny cheek. He closed his eyes at the sheer force of feelings that hit him.

"She's not like us Johnny. We take what we want, even when we know we don't deserve it. And in the end we always pay." Running her thumb along his strong jaw, she studied him carefully. He was a beautiful man, a man that she didn't deserve. But, she was going to take him anyway because it hurt too much not to.

"Tomorrow." She whispered the word with sincerity and pride. This would be the one time Maxie ruined her life for a cause that was not her own. She would hold her head high and deflect the judgments that would surly come, because they would finally be undeserved. With out another word she walked away. The fluttering in Johnny's stomach grew worst. Damn Maxie Jones for continuing to showing him that she was a real person.


	9. Trouble

_Authors Note: _Okay here is the next part, I know I totally leave you all hanging at the end. The beginning went on longer than I had expected. But the next chapter will be chalk full of JoMax and a nice juicy Lulu/Maxie fight. Comment!

**Chapter 9: And So It Begins**

_Knock, knock, knock…_

Maxie Jones slammed her delicate hand against the thick door of Jason Morgan's pent house, careful not to damage her newly painted fingernails. She continued to bang on the protective door ferociously until finally it finally swung open in annoyance.

"Oh, it's you." The mundane voice of Jason Morgan entered her anxious ears. He left the door open before turning to walk away. Scoffing at his rudeness, Maxie clicked her heels across the mobster's living room floor and headed for the stairs.

"He's still changing, he'll be down in a minute." Jason informed the blonde. Stopping in her tracks, Maxie wheeled around and redirected her footsteps. Marching to the couch, she plopped herself next to Jason.

"So Jason, are you going to be making an appearance at the Haunted Star tonight? You and Sam maybe?" Maxie asked raising her eyebrows in suggestion. The remaining Jones sister liked to think of herself as the mobster's personally appointed pest. She nagged, she argued, she went up when he said down; she was the equivalent of an annoying younger sister. And the truth was, she loved every minute of it. The makeshift family that she had created with Jason and Spinelli was like a lifeline. She had clung to their odd expressions and sturdy loyalty like a lifeboat after Georgie died. There were times where she couldn't bare to go home and face Mac, knowing that a chunk of their family unit would always be missing. Those were the times that she went to Jason's. Ironically enough his dangerously targeted home was a safe haven to Maxie.

"No. And get that idea out of your head right now. Sam and I are getting along fine and we don't need you sniffing around and causing trouble." He warned, knowing exactly how the blonde thought. Maxie would be over the moon if Jason and Sam reunited. Her best friend and her begrudging protector? For Maxie they were a match made in mob heaven.

"Well what if it wasn't trouble that I was causing…" She slowly let the words out, fighting back a smirk. She could already see the lines of stress etching on Jason's perfectly defined face.

"Maxie." He simply stated.

"Oh don't worry you big lug, I'm not going to _do_ anything. But I can't make any promises if Sam happens to ask my opinion on the matter." She smiled in excitement. "The two of you are so perfect for each other. Like, way connected." She squealed happily.

"Maximista? Is that your musical alert of excitement I hear?" Spinelli's whimsical words rang down the stair case as he emerged wearing a tailored suit.

"Spinelli! You looks so amazing, that color is fabulous on you. God, I totally hit the nail on the hammer when I picked this out for you." Maxie rushed over to her good friend and immediately began toying with his hair.

"I think the fair one means to say that she hit the equivocal nail on the _head_." He corrected seriously. Maxie was too busy fussing with Spinelli's hair and suit to notice.

"Right, the hammer on the head." She muttered, standing back to look at Spinelli full on. "Wow, I'm good… I even surprise myself sometimes. Actually that's not true. I totally was aware of my fashion brilliance." She continued to ramble. Jason finally stood up, looking like he had recently acquired a headache, and walked over to the pair.

"Alright so, you both look presentable… off you go." He encouraged.

"Wait does my hair look okay? And my dress? I have to have the prettiest outfit there if I want to keep moving up at Crimson!" She nervously questioned.

"You look fine Maxie." Jason assured her, using a hand to guide the two friends closer to the door.

"Could you at least pretend to have an ounce of consideration in you?" Maxie demanded angrily. She was nervous and anxious about her plans for the evening and, in true Maxie fashion, she was letting off some steam in the place she felt most comfortable.

"How can someone so small, be so, so hugely irritating?" Jason wondered, directing the teasing question at Spinelli.

"She was-" The lovable nerd began to defend his 'Maximista'. "_She_ has a name." Maxie interrupted. Spinelli nodded in acceptance and regained his composure."Maxie was-""_Maxie _can speak for herself." She interrupted yet again. Both Jason and Spinelli basked in their frustration as they waited for her to continue. "And for your information, tonight happens to be a very stressful and important evening for me." She bit out, a calm edge to her voice.

"Why? What's so stressful about a night at the Haunted Star?" Jason replied, mentally kicking himself for encouraging the conversation.

"The Jackal has to agree with Stone Cold's query, what complications could possibly ensue amidst the lighthearted atmosphere of our impending evening?" Spinelli's soft voice and Jason's blunt words were too much for Maxie to take. She was never good at keeping things from them.

"UGH! Fine, fine, you dragged it out of me." She exclaimed dramatically before sitting down in Jason's desk chair. The look on his face spoke of pure frustration and helplessness. He had asked one too many questions and now he was forced to endure the headache that was, Maxie Jones. "I'm going to do something stupid tonight. Something incredibly, ridiculously, undeniably stupid."

"What? Why? Why would you embark on your quote 'stupid' mission if you have the foresight to acknowledge the flaws that lie with in it?" Spinelli questioned in worry and confusion.

"Because I'm me! Duh Spinelli, I recognize something is completely destructive and then I dive in head first anyway. It's my nature." She responded, as if it were the most logical explanation on earth.

"So stop yourself this time." Jason stated simply.

"I can't!" She yelled, frustrated with their lack of understanding. "If I don't help Johnny cheat on Lulu then she'll never dump him and everything will become one big mess!" Spinelli sputtered as he registered her shocking words.

"If you DON'T help Johnny cheat on Lulu it'll be a mess? How is that even- how does…" Jason trailed off in exhaustion. "You know what? Leave me out of this." He finally spoke again.

"But- but, Stone Cold you cannot allow Maximista to sinfully create chaos with the dark prince of doom. It would be most self destructive not to mention the damage that it would place upon the peaceful coexisting of the fair blonde ones." Spinelli's frantic rambling continued to gain speed.

"SPINELLI!" Maxie finally shouted.

"But- Maximista you cant." He whimpered.

"I have to okay? Look you both have to promise not to breath a word of what I'm about to tell you okay?" The both stared at her blankly. "Um, this is the part where you say 'we promise Maxie'. Come on!" She shouted.

"I don't make blind promises." Jason answered.

"Oh really? I have a feeling princess Liz would say otherwise." Her spiteful words spoke to the actual intensity of the situation. Both of the men in the room could recognize the signs. Maxie was about to tear her life apart so, she was pushing people away before the impact ruined them all.

"Maxie, just tell us what's going on. Maybe we can help." The blue eyed enforcer softly encouraged the blonde. Now that he had a better idea of the situations weight, he would support Maxie any way he knew how.

"Okay well…" Maxie leapt into the story. She told Spinelli and Jason everything that had happened between her and Johnny. Well the business portions anyway. When she was finished both men looked skeptical.

"Maximista while I find your efforts noble and truly kind, I must encourage you to think this through. There must be some other way to keep the original blonde one safe from the fire of the Zaccharra's, for lack of a better term… hell." He pleaded, knowing in his heart that Maxie's mind was already made up.

"No." She replied firmly. Jason stood silently, considering the situation.

"Just be careful Maxie. You're playing with fire here and… well be careful." Jason finally spoke.

"What! Stone Cold, you cannot be supporting this abomination of a strategy!" Spinelli exclaimed.

"Maxie seams to have thought this through all the way and, well she is right. Lulu can be blind when it comes to Johnny. This might be the only way to really protect her." He defended Maxie's plan, causing a genuine smile to grace the blonde's lips. Jason usually treated Maxie like an over exuberant annoyance, but he did truly care for the younger girl. She was different than anyone he'd ever met, she was even a little intimidating. But somehow Maxie had wormed her way into Jason's heart and now he was prisoner to her excited smile and crazy antics.

"Thank you Jason." She replied sincerely. With a short nod Jason motioned for Maxie to get up out of his chair.

"You two should get going. If your planning on going through with your scheme…" He trailed off. Though he supported Maxie's plan, he was still worried for her. He knew that her life had been going well lately, and this new development would throw everything off course.

"Yeah, yeah we should go Spinelli." She agreed standing up and taking the computer genius's arm. Spinelli hung his head low and mumbled to himself as they made their way out the door.

**00000 00000**

With the ability to drop ones heart to their feet, the bright lights and upbeat music of the Haunted Star drifted outside. The soft bustling of bodies mingling together held no candle to the onslaught of notes being hit one by one on the piano in the corner. Familiarity. The feeling enticed each and every guest into being comfortable. The common array of events lined up in order seamed to trick everyone into thinking that this would in fact be, a fun filled evening. But for some, there was still the creeping feeling of what was to come, thick in the air. And as the piano's current tune simmered to a close, the feeling intensified. With a stony look set on her face, Maxie prepared to do what she did best. Cause a scene.

"Maxie wait!" Spinelli whispered urgently as her thin hand grasped the door handle in preparation. This was it, this was really it. She looked at him blankly. The girl was on a mission and she certainly had no room for this type of annoyance.

"Are you positive about your creeping agenda? It is not too late to change your mind." He assured her. Looking back he kicked himself for even letting her get this far. If he had provided a road block for her earlier there might be a chance. But by this point? All bets were off.

"Positive." Was her flat reply. She grabbed for the door again and this time Spinelli physically stopped her, earning a look of disgust. Wrenching her wrist from his grasp the small girl shoved her friend backward. Stumbling slightly, he regained his balance.

"What are you doing? Do you not understand that Lulu's life depends on this?" She whispered furiously as a formally dressed couple passed them and headed inside.

"I beg of you, find another way. This will surely destroy fair Lulu." His eyes pleaded helplessly with the blonde.

"Spinelli!" She hissed.

"She'll be heartbroken." He pointed out unnecessarily.

"Boo...hoo." She whimpered sarcastically.

"Who are you?" He questioned honestly.

"I'm a girl who's about to set things straight." She stated clearly. "And if I'm not mistaken, it's almost time for me to make my grand entrance."

"They'll all hate you."

"You won't."

"There's nothing I can say to stop you? Nothing that will make you reconsider?" He said softening his voice. All the frustration and begging had passed now. Spinelli had seen the way Maxie drew forward her walls of protection. She was ready for a war, no matter who she was going to have to fight. He knew better than to stand in her way when she felt this strongly about something.

"You know better than to ask that Spin." She admonished, softening her own voice.

"Then good luck I guess. I hope you find what you're looking for in there." He sighed deeply.

"You aren't coming?"

"I'll stay out here. This is your moment, for better or for worst." He admitted. Nodding in approval Maxie placed her hand firmly on the door handle yet again. With those final words Maxie swung the heavy doors open and entered the grandly decorated room. She marched forward with purpose and confidence. It was hard for people not to take notice when the beautiful blonde made her presence known.

**00000 00000**

Johnny had been patiently awaiting Maxie's arrival for over an hour now. Okay, so maybe patient wasn't the best word to use. The brown eyed musician had been moody and snappish. Lulu had actually gotten so fed up with him that she'd retreated to talk to one of her brothers. Finally, when it seamed as though she would never arrive; a pair of tortured blue eyes met his own brown ones. Fighting back a smile, Johnny took notice to the brightening room. Even the air around him seamed to have been breathed new life.

"Who's the blonde fox mate?" An Australian accent swam through Johnny's senses. Turning his head he noticed Luke's newest bartender staring in the direction of Lulu, who was now speaking with Maxie.

"Hey watch it you kangaroo, that's my little girl." The voice of Luke Spencer piped in as he joined the two younger men.

"The one in the red?" The man, Ethan Lovett, questioned.

"Oh no, her? That right there is Maxie Jones. You're gonna want to steer clear of that one too though." Luke replied, looking mildly relived that Ethan wasn't thinking of going after his daughter.

"Why is that? Do you have some sort of familial obligation to her as well?" He asked. Luke laughed boisterously.

"No, no. I'm just warning you buddy, that girl is trouble in it's truest form. She's a hell of a survivor but you know what they say. Surviving takes it's toll, and Miss Jones over there has certainly paid the price. She'll chew you up and spit you out junior." Luke's loud laughter followed him as he made his way over to some high paying customers.

"Sounds like the type of challenge I've been looking for." Ethan smirked, raising his eyebrows at Johnny as if they were old friends. Johnny balled his hands into tight fists, doing everything he could not to punch the foreigner.

"I don't think so man, Maxie's been through a lot. She'll see right through your BS and snap you in half." Johnny warned, trying to act casual.

"You know her too then?" Ethan questioned, seemingly unfazed by the other mans advice.

"We're friends." He answered softly, after a moment of thought. He looked over to meet Maxie's waiting eyes. She nodded at him discretely, but made sure that she was obvious enough about it that Lulu would take notice. The signal was a strange combination of subtlety and boldness, but it worked. Downing the rest of his drink Johnny patted Ethan on the back.

"I'll talk to you later man. I've got some business to attend to." He interrupted the new comer, who had been in the middle of telling some sort of story. Johnny kept his eyes on Maxie as she made her way through a door leading to some storage rooms. He followed her every move and exited the crowed gambling room. This was it.

"Oof!" He exclaimed as he found himself being slammed against a wall. Soon a pair of full lips were on his own. Responding quickly, Johnny found one of his hand in Maxie's soft hair and the other creeping up her unhealthily short dress.

"A room, we should find a room." She breathed when they finally parted for air. Nodding hurriedly, Johnny grabbed her and rushed her into the closest room he could find. Maxie jumped up onto a counter, used mostly for storage, and pulled Johnny to her once more.

"Let's make this happen Zaccharra." She muttered before wrestling his tie loose. His lips worked their way down her jaw and to her throat.

"Mmhm… can't… concentrate when you do that." Biting her lip Maxie began to pull Johnny's dress shirt from his pants. They had to create a picture of lust and sex. The plan was for Lulu to follow them here and find them in an intimate embrace. So far… so good.

"How do you think I feel, with you smelling so damn amazing." He spoke against her throat as he worked his way back to her lips.

"Johnny." She gasped as he nibbled on an especially sensitive area.

"Johnny!" Lulu's frantic, confused voice broke through the lust filled room. The pair sprung apart, both looking guilty.

"Lulu." The youngest Zaccharra uttered the name, looking every bit as sorry as the part required him to. They may have been doing this for Lulu's own good, but her pain was still real.

"Oh my god, how could you do this to me?" She screamed, her shock quickly evolving into anger. "And you!" She turned to Maxie, as if she were noticing her for the first time. "I should have known you weren't through being a filthy whore!" And so it began…

_Please Comment!_


	10. Stupid

_Authors Note: _Okay so this didn't turn out as good as I had hoped. But please let me know what you think. Comment!

**Chapter: Stupid**

_Tap, tap, tap…_

The sound of Lulu's impatient heels clicking on the cold floor was all that could be heard in the tension filled room. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were glaring daggers into Maxie's own blue orbs. The air was thick with anticipation and void of understanding. The mess had been made and now, it was time to filter through the scarce remains.

"What? You suddenly have nothing to say? Well ding, dong the witch has finally been silenced." Lulu taunted. Her words shot forwards like burning questions in the form of spears; dangerous, relentless.

"I think our current situation speaks for itself." Maxie replied, rolling her eyes and fixing her dress. Her attitude was that of someone who could simply care less about Lulu's pain or anger. The emotional distance she had formed through out the ordeal rendered her untouchable. The slight movement of Johnny buttoning his shirt was the only thing keeping her focused; his breathing, his presence.

"Lulu are you okay? I heard yelling and-" The concerned voice of Carly Jacks joined the hostile environment. Immediately upon entering the buzzing room, she took note of the scene unfolding. "Oh my god." She muttered, her mouth hanging open in a show of sincere surprise. Her hands quickly moved to Lulu's arm, in a gesture of comfort. Her inner Spencer took hold of her senses and drove her into protection mode. The impact of human contact broke the younger blonde from her reverie. In a single moment Lulu felt the impact of everything she had just witnessed. The reality of the situation came crashing down, crushing her in one lethal dose.

"You bitch. You stupid whore." Lulu whispered with venom, her eyes never broke their lock on her one time enemy turned friend. A glance in Johnny's direction was simply out of the question. Johnny held all of Lulu's hopes and dreams in the palm of his hand; both of which were too delicate for his destructive touch. If her eyes were to meet his, the loss of those hopes and dreams would be too much for the fragile girl to bare.

"This is my fault Lulu. Please, if you want to blame someone then blame me." Johnny stepped forward, shielding Maxie from the onslaught of judgment and critique. The danger junkie's noble defense only proved to fuel Lulu's inevitable anger and rage.

"Are you kidding me? This is Maxie we're talking about. What did she do to convince you to sleep with her? Did she drug you Johnny? Did she pay in cash or credit? I'm serious, is she officially a prostitute yet? What was it this time, you slut?" The blonde rehashed any dirt she could possibly bring forth. Her bitter words were pelted at Maxie, only to bounce off with ease. No one in the world owned up to their faults the way Maxie Jones did. No one.

"You know what Johnny, I had my doubts about you. But, Lulu loved you and she believed that you were good guy. Because of that, I gave you a chance." The sad tone to Carly's voice did nothing to cover the venom lacing each word.

"Lulu was wrong to believe that I was a good guy. And you were wrong to give me a chance." He replied simply. His words were void of emotion.

"I can see that now. I can also see that your intelligence was a misconception. I mean, you must be a special kind of stupid to think that your relationship with Lulu was worth a few rounds with some Paris Hilton wannabe." Slinging insults left and right, Carly smirked with pride. She was a master when it came confrontation.

"I want you out." Lulu spoke, pointing a shaking finger at Maxie.

"Um…" Maxie put a finger to her chin, and let her eyes wander in a show of false consideration. "No." She finally responded as if it were ludicrous for Lulu to even request such a thing. Maxie knew she was being a bitch. She knew that she had already put the poor, pathetic, whiner through the ringer and then some. But being cruel and cold was the only thing that Maxie could do in this situation. Given the current detachment of her emotions, she was left to run only on instinct. It was a well known fact that during a fight, Maxie was instinctually a bitch.

"My father owns the Haunted star you bimbo!"

"My family owns a portion as well Lulu." Johnny reminded her lowly. His eyes were dark and serious. He, much like Maxie, was forging ahead with walls in place. The pair treated the encounter much like a business deal. They had a job to do.

"Throwing around your filthy family name again Johnny?" Carly jumped back in, unwilling to let Lulu fight alone.

"Is this really any of your business Carly? I thought banshees only spearheaded their own vengeful missions. I wasn't aware that it extended to family as well." Maxie's sarcastic insult was met with an intense glare.

"Do you think I would actually walk away from here and leave Lulu hanging in the wind? You'd love that wouldn't you? A leach like yourself can only win if the numbers are uneven. Let's see what you can do when it's a fair fight Miss Maxie Jones." Carly bit out. Carly had always felt an itching urge to bare her claws and tear Maxie to pieces. The blonde was bitter and scornful; two things that Carly herself held as a companion. But the former mob diva was used to being the most hard core bitch in town. And now Maxie Jones thought she could take that title. This would surely be a bloodbath.

"Oh yeah, because picking a fight with someone a decade younger than you is really admirable Carly. Why don't you just hurry along to your husband, whoever that is at the moment." With a false-sweet smile, Maxie waved her dainty fingers in a mocking motion. The presentation of careless attitude made Carly's blood boil.

"You little-"

"Just leave! Get out of here already!" Lulu screamed, interrupting the nasty names that were sure to fly from the mother of two's mouth.

"Sorry Lesley Lu, this party just isn't quite over yet. Johnny and I still have a lot of bases to cover. If you know what I mean…" She smirked evilly.

"Maxie…" Johnny sighed, unable to stand looking at Lulu's broken features.

"You know I should have seen this coming." Lulu spun to face Johnny. His words had alerted her to his consistent presence. "Ever since the storm, something has been going on between the two of you." She cried, tears raining down her face.

"Well duh, it's called sex." Maxie's harsh words, felt like a ton of bricks on her nemesis's heart.

"You- you've been sleeping together since…" She choked on a sob and covered her mouth with a shaking hand. Carly wrapped a protective arm around her cousin.

"I'm sorry Lulu, I'm so sorry. We had been fighting and Maxie just- she understood me. She understood me in a way that you never have. Look, the two of us got caught up in a moment and it just happen." He lied, sprinkling bits of truth through out. Maxie did her best to look uninterested, but Johnny could see that she was listening just as hard as the others. Maybe even harder.

"How many times did it 'just happen'?" Lulu snapped bitterly.

"After the storm, things were different between us. Everything was different and I felt like we couldn't go back to how to the way things were before. I won't try to make excuses Lulu. But I truly am sorry." He finally finished, his jaw set and his eyes hard.

"You're disgusting. You are the most disgusting piece of crap I have ever laid eyes on. How could you do this to me, with her? With her of all people? She is shallow and selfish, she's ungrateful and high maintenance. Maxie is a lying piece of trash. She's everything you hate Johnny. You threw what we had away for that, that stupid whore." Lulu ranted. By this point her volume had reached an all-time high.

"Lulu-" Johnny started to speak, but Maxie's hand fell on his arm halted the words.

"Don't bother Johnny, If Lulu wants to play with fire then by all means… I'll light this damn place up." With those final words Maxie stormed past in a blur of blonde hair and attitude. Johnny stood in shock for a moment, this was not a part of the plan. Then again with Maxie Jones, plans were hardly ever reliable. She wasn't your average melancholy young girl. Ice Cream and chick flicks wouldn't fix what was broken. And, to be honest no one was even sure what _was_ broken.

"Excuse me, can I have everyone's attention please." Her confident voice broke through the noise of gambling drunks and spinning wheels. Johnny, Lulu and Carly followed the dangerous blonde tentatively. "So I thought, since this is a party, I might as well put on a show."

"Shut up you little hussy." Carly hissed loudly.

"You see Lulu, dear sweet, perfect Lulu, has a little problem. It seams that her so called friend, that's me by the way, and her boyfriend… him right here." She paused gage the reactions she was getting. The faces looking out at her were hauntingly similar to those at her sister's funeral. The same shock, sympathy, and disgust marred their judgmental feature. They all knew what was coming.

"Well we've been sleeping together behind her back. And wow, that must suck." She smiled widely. Behind her, Lulu ground her teeth together to keep from crying. "But here's the thing, innocent little Lulu, thinks that me sleeping with Johnny gives her the right to treat me like dirt. And I'll admit, I totally deserve good slap in the face. But it's the lies and hypocrisy that I take issue with. I thought this would be an appropriate time to clear a few things up."

"You stabbed me in the back Maxie! You were my friend and you betrayed my trust!" Lulu finally cut in.

"Friends?" Maxie scoffed. "You honestly think that we were friends?"

"Yeah, I did. I have to give you credit I mean, you really had me fooled." She replied, her voice shaking.

"Oh spare me the lecture about loyalty and trust. If I wanted a lesson on moral behavior I catch a Brady Bunch marathon. But you of all people do not get to talk to me about friendship!" Maxie shouted back. By this point she was barley even thinking about her and Johnny's plan. Her emotions, her temper; it was all real.

"Are you actually trying to turn this around on me?" Lulu questioned in disbelief. The rest of the room watched on in silence. Nikolas moved to intervene but Luke's hand held him back. He knew that his daughter needed to learn how to fight her own battles. Though it killed him that she had to be in combat with someone as vicious as Maxie Jones.

"It just must be wonderful to be perfect Lulu. You and your flavor of the month get to embark on some storybook romance. All the while you self-righteously look down on me and my life. You get to do whatever you want, and the rest of us are just supposed to cheer you on. And god forbid, I have the nerve to act out or do something you don't approve of. You like to think that every aspect of my life is your business." Maxie's words grew more and more grave. Her voice rang through out the room like the crack of a raging fire.

"You sleeping with my boyfriend is my business."

"You started judging me long before Johnny was screaming my name."

"You drugged my brother! You ruined my relationship with Logan!"

"And you ruined my sister's marriage, you destroyed the last good thing in her life. After Georgie died I had nothing, nothing at all. My job was the only thing that I had to look forward to and you tried your best to make sure I lost that too." Maxie yelled back, the hairs on her neck standing on end.

"We've both hurt each other Maxie, that doesn't excuse the fact that you betrayed me." Lulu's voice shook as she held back a fresh wave of tears.

"I didn't betray you Lulu, that would require our friendship to be even half way balance. I was the one who covered for you at work. I was the one who visited you while you were in Shady Brooke. Hell I begged Johnny to go see you because you were so pathetic and helpless with out him." Her rant began to gain speed. "And you know what? I didn't get a thank you. I didn't get a 'gee Maxie, you're not so bad after all'. No, you continued to judge me and insult me. You continued to be a disaster that I had keep track of."

"That is not how things were." Lulu ground out defensively.

"Isn't it?" Maxie's low, eerie voice prickled at people's skin. "You look at me like I'm beneath you. You talk to me like I'm stupid. I've been screwing your boyfriend for weeks Lulu. Sometimes we were right in your own apartment and you never even noticed. Now who's stupid?" Gleaming with pride Maxie turned around and began her march out the door.

"Now the party is over." She shouted with out sparing a glance backwards.

**00000 00000**

One hour, and six minutes after Maxie exited the haunted star, leaving a trail of burning embers in her wake, Johnny entered Jake's bar. Most people had chosen to make a hasty retreat after the theatricals of the young love triangle. Lulu quietly informed Johnny that she would find him when she was ready to talk. After that, not another word had been spoken in regards to the torrent affair or massive blow up.

"Whiskey, Coleman. Just give me the whole bottle." Johnny's deep voice registered in the older man's mind. Johnny took a seat at the bar and waited for Coleman to return with his request. To his left, a pair glinting eyes observed him.

"Rough night eh mate?"

"You could say that."

"Pretty impressive though." Ethan Lovett let his intrusive thoughts be known. Johnny fought to hold his tongue. He was in no mood to swap stories with some foreign hot shot.

"If you say so."

"Which one do you think you'll end up with?" He questioned, smiling obnoxiously.

"Neither."

"Yeah? Well then you won't mind if I take a crack at the hot little minx who caused all the trouble?" His slimy smile and innuendo laced words nearly sent Johnny over the edge.

"You don't want to get involved with Maxie." He slowly informed the other man as Coleman returned with Johnny's request. Pouring himself a large glass of whisky, he downed the burning liquor in one gulp. The remedy slid down his raw throat like a savior in the form of a mistake.

"I like a challenge." Ethan continued to boast.

"She isn't like other girls." Johnny told him, meaning every word. "Looking at her you'd think she was fragile, breakable. But she's already too damn broken for anyone to make a difference. You can't break her and you can't fix her. And if you try, you'll only end up hurting yourself." He finished sinking another glass of the intoxicating liquid.

"I'll take my chances."

"No, you won't." The words came out more firmly than Johnny had intended. The possessive quality of his voice took him by surprise.

"I thought you said you weren't planning on ending up with her." Ethan questioned, in sincere confusion.

"I'm going to end up alone. One day I will be completely and irreversibly broken and alone. When that day comes it will be at her hands and her hands only. She's the only woman who can see me well enough to kill me. But until that day comes, she's mine." With those final words, Johnny flung his glass across the bar so forcefully that it shattered into a million pieces.

"Hey, Zaccharra!" Coleman shouted.

"Sorry man, I'll pay for it later just- just put it on my tab or something." Shaking his head in exhaustion, Johnny stood up. He gripped the half empty bottle of alcohol in one hand and used the other to steady his wobbly steps. Ethan looked on in curiosity.

"Okay there mate?" He asked, offering an arm to help. Johnny shoved the other man's arm away and looked up with furious eyes.

"I'm fine. And I'm not your mate." He snapped before exiting the smoky bar and pulling out his phone to dial a now familiar number. She answered on the third ring.

"I need to see you." It wasn't a question or a request. Johnny Zaccharra needed to see Maxie Jones and there was nothing else to it. They had some unfinished business to attend to.

_Comment Please!_


	11. Content

_Authors Note: _Here is the next chapter. It was kind of a filler because I had to deal with the fall out of Johnny and Lulu breaking up. But I think it turned out alright. Please comment and tell me what you think.

**Chapter 11: Everything To Lose**

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

Content with the feeling of one another's skin pressed closely against their own, Maxie and Johnny had lost track of time. Naked skin created an atmosphere of heat and intensity. The pair felt that their senses had heightened to levels of unearthly proportion. The sound of the wind, steady against the flimsy windows, consumed the small room. The smell of grease and oil drove through out the air, covered partially by the sweet but spicy aroma of sex.

"Are you cold?" Johnny question the blonde, who was currently draped over him in a position of languid lust. Her blue orbs were open, though he wondered if she was seeing anything at all. The hollow depth of her iris' chilled his core more thoroughly than the winter temperature ever could.

"Yes." She answered quietly, her eye focused on something in the distance. Johnny wordlessly lifted the thin blanket to cover more of her intoxicating form. He pulled her closer, relieved to feel her revel in this action rather than reject it.

"Better?"

"No." Sometimes, the honesty with which she spoke, still startled Johnny. How could one person be so completely deceiving, yet true to themselves at the same exact time. Maxie Jones was an utter mystery, a mystery that Johnny Zaccharra was compelled to piece together.

"Is there anything I can do?" With each passing question, the brown eyed mob prince felt less sure of Maxie's current state of mind. He had called her with the sole intent of seeing her; feeling her presence consume him. After he had left Jake's, Johnny had informed Maxie that he would be a the garage. He had made it clear that he wanted her to go there, the rest was up to her. When he arrived at the run down space, she was already there; curled up on the couch and looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen her look before. But despite her uneasy manor, there was still an aura of fire and ice surrounding her. The instant his eyes drank in her flawless form, he knew that tonight would be the night they finally created smoke.

"You were perfect, you are perfect." She whispered as her hand drew small circles on his bare chest. The assuring words did little to comfort the worried man as he watched her eyes continue to wander.

"Is that the score for my performance? Ten out of ten?" His voice held a light tone of teasing, he was desperate to break her dark spell of recession.

"You think an awful lot of yourself, don't you Mr. Zaccharra?" She finally smiled and looked over to meet his eyes. The pure joy that this small change gave him was absolutely unreasonable. But, he also thought it was unreasonable for one woman to be so insanely beautiful. Everything concerning Maxie Jones was a little unreasonable.

"Perfect was your word, not mine." He smiled widely, his hand toying with the ends of her soft hair. The image of her pulling roughly on his own locks was still fresh in his mind. Somewhere in the back of his head, Johnny had known that they would have sex tonight. He had know that she would touch him in ways

he'd never forget. And he had known that this occurrence would only make her more dangerous, more lethal, to his already drowning self control when it came to her.

"Well don't expect me to sit here and stroke your over sized ego." She scoffed smiling to let him know it wasn't meant to be a real insult. He laughed with her and shrugged.

"Hey, don't even bother denying how badly you want me. Your enthusiasm during that one part, well that spoke for itself." His lustful expression, spoke of the intense passion they had shared not long ago. Her lips on his lips, her lashes fluttering against his nose, and her body completely surrounding his manhood. The erotic memory of being inside of her was enough to make Johnny quiver.

"Oh, please! I believe it was you who couldn't stop screaming my name." She poked him playfully. Catching her hand in his own, Johnny couldn't argue. He would be happy to scream her name every day for the rest of his life. He would be happy to die from the pleasure of being inside her, the pure joy of hearing her breath so close to his ear.

"You bit me." He pointed out, glancing at the red imprint on his muscular shoulder. In the sheer heat of passion, Maxie had all but broken the skin. The mixture of pain and pleasure made Johnny questioned just how much of a glutton for punishment he really was.

"You left marks all over my body." She replied in a sing-song manor. And it was true, Johnny had nipped and sucked and kissed until Maxie's entire body was littered with red signs of ownership. In a sick longing for power, the Zaccharra traits had surfaced and left a trail in their wake. Johnny's brain registered that it was illogical to stake claim to Maxie, but his heart took hold of his lips and ignore logic all together.

"I have scratches down my back."

"My lips are swollen."

"I can barley breath."

"I can barley breath." Maxie echoed his thought and closed the space between them. Their swollen, bruised lips glided together effortlessly. And as they began to meld together as one, all burdening thoughts flew from their minds. Every doubt and every ounce of guilt was banished in exchange for the electric sensation of making love. Because if they were both truly honest with themselves, they would admit that more than sex was taking place. More than just their bodies were connecting.

"Johnny." His name felt like a life vest on her lips. She whispered it over and over, grasping at the comfort that came along with it. They moved together slowly, committing each moment to memory.

"You're the best lie I've ever told Maxie." He panted the words, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming out. The rise and fall of her chest increased and she looked up at him with heavy lidded eyes. There was a powerful twinkle behind those eyes as she bit her lip.

"Yeah?" She questioned. Taking him by surprise she flipped their bodies over, positioning herself on top and him below. The maneuver was impressive considering the limited space the dingy couch left for movement.

"How much of this is a lie?" She continued, smirking as she leaned down to kiss her way from his jaw to his perfectly sculpted chin. Johnny squeezed his eyes shut and moaned as his hands grasped her more firmly.

"All of it… none of it. I just know that I don't want it to end." His words were met with a startled glance from Maxie as she paused her earlier motions. But, the questioning look in her eyes was erased as Johnny grabbed the back of her neck and brought her lips to his. Neither one noticed the sun rise steadily outside as the night became morning and their bodies became one.

**00000 00000 **

"Spinelli! Jason? Can someone let me in?" The shrill voice of a young blonde rang through out the halls of Jason Morgan's pent house. Wiry footsteps hustled down the stairs and struggled to reach the door.

"Blonde one!" Spinelli exclaimed as he swung the door open with vigor and surprise. Everything from his extra messy hair to his super sloppy clothes, screamed that he was a worried wreck. Spinelli had briefly spoken to Maxie before she left to go meet Johnny. But, he had yet to hear from her since then and he was beginning to grow anxious.

"Is she here? Did she tell you what happened?" Lulu Spencer rudely pushed past the computer geek in anger. The steaming affects of rage rolled off her in waves. She whipped her head sharply around the room in order to survey her surroundings. She wanted to be one-hundred percent sure that she was alone with Spinelli. The last thing she needed was for her equally blonde nemesis to pop out of hiding and ambush her with an argument.

"I must request that the original blonde one calms her emotional stampede. I assume that the 'her' you refer to is fair Maximista who I can safely say is not present on the premises. In fact, I am at a loss of knowledge for where she is at this moment in time." His puppy-dog eyes cast downward in misery.

"I bet she's with Johnny. Did you here that they slept together? Yeah, they've been screwing like rabbits for weeks now. Ever since the storm…" She continued to ramble crudely, displaying her apparent hate for both Maxie and Johnny; the former evoking more enthusiastic insults than the latter.

"Just- just hold on Fair Lulu. I understand that you must be beyond heartbroken at the mere idea of the dark knight partaking in such an act of betrayal, especially with your begrudging friend Maximista but…" During his hasty attempt to provide some sort of explanation for the duo's negative actions, Spinelli was cut off.

"No! Your precious Maximista is a pathetic slut who doesn't give a damn about you Spinelli!" Lulu fired back, in no mood to hear someone defend Maxie.

"Maxie has a different way of showing her affection for the Jackal but that does not mean that she is uncaring or unworthy of our deep friendship." He softy corrected Lulu. Although he didn't necessarily agree with Johnny and Maxie's plan to save Lulu, he couldn't fault them for their actions. Both had the best intentions and he could only be happy that he was privy to the truth. Seeing Lulu in such raw anguish made him wonder how he would have reacted, had the situation been reversed.

"Oh please, Spinelli she uses you! She has you under some spell and that's why she keeps you around. Maxie is a selfish bitch and she would never lower herself to someone like you unless she was getting something out of the deal." Lulu's harsh words stung.

"Considering your current mind set and the pain you have endured as of late, I will choose to take little offense to your truly off base assumption." The wounded look on Spinelli's face let Lulu know that she had crossed a line. There was no reason for her anger to spill over onto the sweet boy with a heart of gold.

"I didn't mean it like that Spinelli." She quietly replied, the whisper of regret lacing her words. "I just, I don't understand how you can forgive her after everything she's done." Letting her shoulders sag, the blonde took on a stance of defeat.

"Maxie is my best friend Lulu." Spinelli spoke clearly, with meaning.

"But, why?"

"It's not something I can explain with simple words. It's beyond explanation." He admitted, smiling sadly. He truly did feel bad for Lulu. A huge part of him was aching to blurt out the truth and ease some of her pain. But he knew that Lulu's safety was at sake, something he could never take lightly.

"I guess I'll just never understand…" Her words trailed off as the door opened and revealed two leather clad individuals. Jason Morgan and Samantha McCall; a modern day Bonnie and Clyde if there ever was one.

"Ah, hey?" Jason squinted in confusion. It had been a long time since Lulu was a frequent visitor at his pent house. The only blonde that seamed to occupy her time there now, was Maxie.

"Hey." She replied shortly, struggling to force down her emotions.

"Did we interrupt something?" Sam questioned the pair.

"Fair Lulu came over to discuss the current situation between the misguided prince of darkness and my sweet Maximista." Lulu scrunched up her nose in disgust as Spinelli explained their conversation to Sam and Jason. She was almost certain that she would not be able to stomach much more talk of Johnny and Maxie.

"Right, yeah I heard about that." Sam looked at Lulu with understanding eyes. She herself had been cheated on and betrayed by people she trusted. It was a rough spot for anyone to be in. "Look, Maxie's my friend and I'll always have her back. But what she did was still wrong. I'm sorry you have to go through this Lulu." She finished sincerely. Lulu awkwardly smiled at the older woman, unsure of how to act around her. The two had never really talked much, even when Sam was seeing Lucky. But they'd never had a problem with one another either. And now, seeing Sam and Jason together again, Lulu really didn't know what to make of the brunette.

"Um, thanks Sam. I guess… what are you doing here anyway?" She question with little tact.

"Stone Cold and Fair Samantha have been working together on a project of the utmost importance." Spinelli interjected, seeing the annoyed look on Jason's face.

"Is that why Lucky broke up with you? Was he upset at you for spending so much time with Jason?" The inconsiderate tirade of words, raised the eyebrows of everyone in the room. Sometimes Lulu forgot that she couldn't just barge into people's lives and pass judgment. Her inappropriate tendencies were similar to that of a kindergarten brat. But the bad habit was much less endearing in the hands of a young adult.

"Actually Lucky and I agreed that we were better off as friends. It was a mutual decision and frankly, it's none of your business." Sam's tone was hard and left little room for argument. She had put her best foot forward and tried to be nice to the hurting young girl. But enough was enough, Lulu Spencer did not get a free pass to speak down to her.

"Lucky is my brother!" She exclaimed indignantly.

"Only when it's convenient for you." Sam fired back, in full bitch mode.

"Excuse me! What is that supposed to mean?" The outrage in Lulu's voice was extremely evident.

"Come on Lulu, you lied to your brother for months! You chose to side with Jason and Elizabeth and keep a huge secret from Lucky. Not to mention the way that you always put Johnny ahead of both him and Nikolas. And now that Johnny is through with you, your brothers will be there to pick up the pieces. Because they are there for you no matter what! I just wish you gave them the same loyalty." Lulu shot a look at Jason, expecting him to come to her defense. Another one of Lulu's masked flaws was her constant need to be protected and defended. She wanted a knight in shining armor; she demanded one. Her pathological damsel mentality was the cause of many troublesome situations.

"You know what? Lulu, Spinelli I think- maybe you should continue your conversation elsewhere. Sam and I have an important project to work on right now." Jason sighed. It was no secret that the mob enforcer/boss was no fan of drama.

"What? Are you seriously kicking me out because of her? I kept your secret Jason, I helped you and Elizabeth even when it was hard for me. And now you're letting Sam use that to make me look like a bad sister?" Her words were unbelieving and emotional.

"Well, maybe it would have been best if you _had_ told Luck the truth back then. Maybe it would have been better for all of us." He finished quietly, shooting a meaningful look at Sam. The tension began to settle in the air and for a moment, it was as if the previous lovers were the only ones in the room.

"Are you kidding me?" Lulu shrieked, breaking the spell.

"I don't have time for this okay? Spinelli just get Lulu out of here." Jason demanded in frustration.

"What? No! I don't even have a place to go, okay? I spent last night at Carly's but I can't keep doing that. And I certainly can't go back to living with Maxie and Johnny." She spoke with horror deep with in her eyes. The idea of going back to that apartment and finding them there…

"Well maybe- possibly Stone Cold would allow fair Maximista to reside in his humble abode once again. Until she can find a place of her own of course." Spinelli suggested hopefully. Jason rubbed his eyes tiredly and prepared to engage in a pointless argument. He knew that Spinelli would eventually get his way but, that didn't change the fact that he still didn't think Maxie would be safe at the pent house.

"Maxie can stay with me." Sam spoke up, noticing the distress coursing through out Jason's entire body.

"What?" Lulu question skeptically.

"Sure I mean, Maxie's my best friend and I have the room. It might actually be kind of fun having a roommate. Now that Lucky and I aren't together, my apartment gets a little lonely." She admitted.

"Fair Samantha's brilliance never fails to astound me. The solution should be agreeable to all those involved. Maximista will be comfortable in the lavish home of the goddess and, the original blonde one will have the privilege of keeping her elegant apartment." Spinelli clapped happily. He was almost giddy with joy, much of which stemmed from seeing Jason and Sam together again.

"There. Problem solved. Now we really need to get to work so you two should-" Jason clenched his jaw in annoyance as Lulu interrupted him.

"What about Johnny?"

"What about him? The guy cheated on you Lulu, and he has no rights to your apartment. Kick him out and let him fend for himself. I'll meet with Maxie and talk her into living with me for a while. You'll get to keep the apartment with out having to deal with a messy fight." Sam explained the situation as if she were speaking to a child.

"But-"

"No, we're done here. Spinelli, you and Lulu need to leave." Jason finally laid down the law and forcefully pushed the pair out the door. Finally he was able to slam the door shut and lean against it in relief. They were gone.

"You know, I could never admit it while I was seeing Lucky but… Lulu Spencer is one annoying little twerp." Sam mused, causing Jason to fight back a genuine smile. That was just one more thing they agreed on.

**00000 00000**

"John, so nice of you to drop by." Claudia smiled widely at the image of her younger brother. Sonny's guards let Johnny into the luxurious mansion and there he found Claudia indulging in an afternoon cocktail. Upon entering the dark living area, Johnny headed straight for the wet bar and poured himself a glass of brandy.

"Someone had a rough night." The dark haired danger junkie observed in amusement. Through the grapevine of Port Charles' finest, Claudia had become aware of her brother's outrageous display with Maxie Jones. She heard the tale of yelling and cursing. It was all very amusing to her.

"Shut up Claudia." Johnny muttered between gulps.

"So sensitive John." She smiled, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. He shook his head in exasperation and sighed.

"Whatever. The plan worked and Lulu officially hates me. I'm ready to jump head first into this war." His cold voice spoke volumes of his current mood. Johnny and Maxie had parted ways a few hours ago. No words were spoken as they dressed and dispersed. But, Johnny knew that things were far from over between them. After that he had spent time speeding through the streets of New York. The rush of wind and the buzz of the engine numbed his chaotic thoughts. He was left with the feeling of falling off the edge; an exhilarating sort of freedom. He had trashed his life and now there was nothing left for him to lose. That sort of power was intoxicatingly undeniable.

"Slow down there cowboy. We still have some wrinkles to work out." Claudia told him.

"Like what?"

"Like Maxie Jones."

"Maxie has nothing to do with this." Johnny gritted out.

"Oh, really? Do you honestly think that daddy won't find out about you and Maxie?" She scolded.

"There's nothing to find out. Maxie helped me break Lulu's heart and now it's over." He lied.

"You don't fool me John, and you certainly won't fool daddy. That little trouble maker means something to you. And now that Lulu's out of the picture, Maxie's will be the target of our father's wrath." Her honest words awakened a primal feeling inside of Johnny. The thought of his father anywhere near Maxie made him want to burn through the town in a march of vengeance. Finally Johnny realized that he had been wrong before. So incredibly wrong. Because he did have something to lose; he had everything to lose.


	12. Fear

_Authors Note_: So this chapter was hard for me to write. I didn't know where I was going with the story but, after this chapter I have a firm sense of where things are heading. There will be two wars coming up. A mob war and a fashion war, and they'll both be bloody. Things are about to get nasty. The part at Crimson was much longer than I wanted. I was planning to throw in another part with Johnny, but that'll have to wait until the next chapter. Please let me know what you think! Comment!

**Chapter 12 : Exacting Revenge **

Ping, pang, ping, pang...

The beating of Johnny's heart increased as his sister spoke out loud his greatest fear. Something he had been pushing down for far too long now.

"You don't fool me John, and you certainly won't fool daddy. That little trouble maker means something to you. And now that Lulu's out of the picture, Maxie's will be the target of our father's wrath." Claudia Zaccharra looked upon her younger brother with honesty and intent. She needed for him to hear her words and truly grasp what she was saying. This time it wasn't about scaring him or controlling him. This time it was about life and death.

"Look, Claudia I appreciate what you're trying to do here. But, the warning isn't necessary. Maxie and I aren't seeing each other. There's no reason for anyone to associate her with I beyond a night or two of sex." The words were meant to ease his own mind as much as his sister's.

"Come on little brother." She sang with a tinge of pity underlying her message. "Don't let your left be caught off guard just because you're too afraid to see the truth." She pointed out expertly.

"What truth? This whole entire thing is based off of the absence of truth. Everything with Maxie is a lie. A lie on top of a lie, on top of more lies. It was all a lie for the sake of keeping Lulu alive." He yelled in frustration.

"This situation has gotten out of hand John. You let yourself fall for the so called lie and now your head is so fogged up that you can't separate what's real and what isn't." Claudia raised her eye brows as if she were challenging him to argue with her logic. But she was right, and he knew it.

Everything had spun out of his grasp and now he was flailing around with no footing. He hurt the girl he was supposed to love. He dreamt of the girl who was supposed to mean nothing. With Maxie it was supposed to be about sex and understandings. They were damaged goods and together they could bask in the loud furry that was their lives. But, the words she spoke branded his heart with permanence he'd never experienced before. Her eyes could render him speechless and breathless all at once. And her lips, her lips could mesmerize, maybe even destroy a man.

"What's real is our father's insanity and the lengths that he will go to, in order to get what he wants. What isn't real is any kind of romantic relationship between Maxie and I. That's it Claudia, end of story." Johnny spoke in a quiet, but serious, voice. His eyes were cold and his jaw was set; a stance of authority.

"Oh, just give it up John! Stop being just a stubborn bastard and face the truth. You're falling for that girl and one of you is gonna end up dead because of it. Maxie Jones is a magnet for death and I'm not saying that to be a bitch, that's a fact. How many chances do you think one girl gets before her time runs out? Huh? How many chances do you think that girl has left in her?" She was practically yelling now.

"You've made your point." He gritted out.

"Have I? Because I still don't think you understand at all. She is already too mixed up in this to walk away John. Somehow, some way she is going to become a prime target. She'll get caught in the crossfire or used as leverage but she will not come out of this unscathed. And neither will you." She continued, her volume remaining high.

"I get it!"

"You are going to get yourself killed trying to protect her." Claudia never took a breath. She ignored her brother's wild eyes and fuming temper and barreled through, determined to get through to him.

"Claudia!"

"Or, or you'll be too late John. You won't realize how much protecting she needs until it's too late. She'll be dead and you'll wish it had been you. Do you get it now? Do you understand that if you don't wise up, one of you is going to die!" She slammed her hand down on the nearby table as her words came to a close. It was quiet for a moment after that, the weight of truth sinking in.

"What do I do?" He finally whispered, looking up at her like a broken little boy. Her heart shuddered at how young and helpless he looked in that moment. For a second she considered telling him that she couldn't help him. It was a lost cause so to speak.

"I don't know." She replied. But his eyes were big and round, like saucers. Claudia had allowed herself to be taken from Johnny all those years ago when he needed her most. There was simply no way she would let that situation occur again. This time she was bound and determined to fix this mess for her little brother.

"But, we'll figure it out. You and I will get through this." She added, letting the hint of a smile emerge on her stony face. Reaching out she gave his hand a squeeze, he did his best to smile in return. But no amount of encouragement could erase the sheer terror and guilt from his features.

"I've sentenced her to death; a life on the run at best." He muttered, shaking his head in disgust.

"No." Claudia said firmly.

"I just never thought- I never thought things would turn out like this. I didn't know that so much could change in such a short amount of time. I can't lose her Claudia." He finally met his sisters gaze.

"I know that. Why do you think I was just screaming at you about her safety? Listen, normally I would care less about some, twenty something year old, girl who I've had a handful of decent conversations with. But Maxie means something to you. Do you honestly think I want to live the rest of my life watching you fade away if something happens to her?" With one final, meaningful, look the siblings ended the conversation.

"I have something I have to do. I'll give you the details later." Johnny spoke with a new purpose, a new attitude. His mind had retreated to a place he hadn't been in so long. A place where Johnny Zaccharra was completely and utterly unstoppable.

**00000 00000**

The clicking of a spotless keyboard was the only noise that could be heard as Maxie Jones entered Kate Howard's impeccable office. She quietly made her way off of the elevator and watched as Lulu Spencer ignored her presence with surprising control. It seamed as though Lulu was actually going to take the high road on this one. As Maxie strut across the room and over to her desk, she slanted her eyes in speculation. Though she hoped that her blonde coworker could remain professional, she had some serious doubts. Crimson was Maxie's dream, plain and simple. Nothing and no one would get in the way of her job.

"Good morning Lesley Lu." Maxie chirped, eliciting a slight snarl from the other girl. Lulu began to click away at her keyboard even faster, looking as though she were going to dislodge the keys by sheer force. Rolling her eyes at the predictable icy demeanor, Maxie set her purse down and marched up to Kate's doors. She knocked crisply on the thick divider three times. Over her shoulder she saw Lulu glance up in curiosity.

"Yes?" Kate's voice rang through the heavy wood.

"It's Maxie, may I come in?" She questioned clearly. Her question was met with another affirmative response. Maxie carefully opened the large doors and then shut them behind her. Kate was perched primly in her oversized chair, looking healthier than she had in a very long time. But, there was still a slightly crazed, maybe even reckless look in her glassy eyes. Shaking off the worrisome thoughts, Maxie stepped forwards and posed herself with the utmost respectable posture.

"I was hoping a could have a quick word with you about something slightly personal. And before you say anything, I know that my personal life has nothing to do with work except well… in this case it sort of does." She rambled nervously. Her body was already rigid, preparing for the expected tongue lashing that might occur.

"Okay Maxie, you've got my attention." Kate sighed, sitting up straight and pointedly shooting the blonde a look to continue.

"Well, as you may have noticed, Lulu and I sort of became friends this past year. We learned how to work together and we even began sharing an apartment." She expertly laid the groundwork for her coming admittance.

"Against my better judgment I'll allow you to continue." Kate drew her lips together tightly, clearly expecting the worst.

"Thank you. You see, over the last few days our… friendship, has changed. Actually it's disappeared." Maxie blurted, laying it all out on the table.

"So what you're saying is, my two assistants are at odds yet again." Kate questioned raising an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Well, yes. If you don't mind me being blunt Kate…" Maxie began, trailing off. Kate nodded easily and motioned for the spitfire to continue. "I slept with Lulu's boyfriend." The fashion mogul's brows shot up so far that they were out of sight. "I know, I know, I am a complete whore. I never should have let things with Johnny get so out of hand, especially since I live and work with Lulu. I take full responsibility for the backlash of this situation." Maxie hurried to explain.

"I see." Kate replied simply, mulling things over in her head. "You know Maxie, as far as the industry goes, I've always seen a lot of myself in you. You are passionate and driven. Where some people would wait to be given an order, you think ahead and get things done. You have the makings of a real power player in fashion."

"Wow, um… thank you so much for saying that Kate." Maxie stuttered over her words, completely shocked by their significance. This certainly was not the reaction she had anticipated.

"Oh, don't thank me. While I do see all of those qualities in you, I also see some things that distinctly separate the two of us. You are entirely too impulsive, you allow your emotions to get the best of you, and you have little to no shame about some of the less admirable aspects of your past. All of which are qualities that I specifically warded off when I entered the fashion industry." She continued. Maxie forced herself not to look away. If Kate wanted to fire her, then she was going to have to look her in the eyes to do it.

"I won't apologize for who I am or who I've been. And with all do respect Kate, neither should you. I know that you went to great lengths to cover up where you came from but, that isn't something I agree with." Maxie told her, keeping her voice even and steady. She was shaking like a leaf on the inside.

"Yes, I've been aware of that ever since my past was revealed to you. You may not have said anything but, I could see that you didn't understand where I was coming from. And a few months ago I might have faulted you for that." She spoke sharply, no hint of assurance in her cold voice.

"If that's how you feel." Maxie replied curtly.

"As I said, that's how I would have felt a few month ago. But, recently I have discovered an unusual new respect for honesty. I've never regretted my decision to change my identity and leave my past behind me but lately I've, well I've given it a bit more thought. I do wish I had held on to who I was, or at least parts of who I was. And as much as I dislike your renewed feud with Lulu, I can't fault you for your actions." She finally reached her point.

"You can't?"

"No. Maxie, I very rarely find reason to envy others. I have a wonderful life, and a wonderful persona. But you, you are someone I envy in many ways." Her voice latched on to a certain emotional wave. She was no longer speaking in business terms.

"Me?"

"Yes. You're so young but, you seam to have grasped certain concepts that I'm only learning just now. You understand the power of truth and the weight of a lie. You are, unapologetic for you past sins. I used to find that unappealing, now I find it admirable. I told you before that certain things separated the two of us. I think that those aspects of you are what I envy most." She continued.

"But, I thought you said that those qualities didn't work well in this industry." Maxie wondered out loud. The turn that this conversation had taken left her utterly baffled.

"They make things harder, but not impossible. If you want to hold on to your emotions than you'll have to be careful Maxie, very careful. If you refuse to control your impulses then you'll have to be ready to do damage control. And if you refuse to hide your past then you need to be ready for anything. You need to expect the worst and prepare for judgment. You'll fall on your face more than once and it'll be an uphill battle. But I do think it can be done. I think you can hold on to all of those parts of you and still make it in this business. In fact, I would love nothing more than to watch you climb that hill and succeed Maxie. You have the chance to do what I never could. I didn't even know that I regretted taking the easier path until very recently but, I truly do. I regret it." She finished emotionally.

"You know, it's still not too late to climb up a hill or two." Maxie offered, smiling a bit. Kate laughed, a genuine laugh, and shook her head.

"It's too late for me. I've made my bed and now I've got to lie in it. But you have the chance to do things differently. And while I would never condone sleeping with another woman's boyfriend, I do applaud your upfront attitude." With a final smile Kate cleared her throat, signaling the return of her business like nature. "As long as it doesn't get in the way of work." She warned.

"Of course. I haven't spoken with Lulu yet but, I'm planning to as soon as we're off the clock. I think we can get along well enough to at least be civil and get our work done." She assured her boss.

"And if you can't?" Kate questioned.

"If Lulu is uncooperative, then I hope you consider dropping our join consequence clause. I understand why you felt that you had to place that on us but, I think things are different now. I'm willing to fight for this job." Maxie clarified.

"Consider the clause dropped." Kate answered.

"Seriously?" Maxie exclaimed. She had never expected Kate to agree so easily.

"Seriously. You are both grown adults and I see no reason why you're job security should rest with one another any longer. If you mess up at work then you and only you will be fired. The same goes for Lulu." She replied. Maxie fisted her hands together to contain the urge of squealing and jumping up and down. Her job no longer rested in Lulu's hand. The massive weight that lifted from her shoulders gave her a new sense of freedom.

"Thank you Kate. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She breathed.

"Of course. Now, if you don't mind staying for a moment, I'm going to bring Lulu in and inform her of our new development." Maxie nodded eagerly, somewhat excited to see the shocked look on her enemies face. She may like Lulu more than she used to but, she still got a sick sort of enjoyment out of watching the little princess squirm.

"Lulu? I need to see you in the office for a moment." Kate spoke over the phone quickly. It took only a moment for Lulu to enter the large room. Her expectant face spoke volumes of her curiosity.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Maxie and I have been chatting for a while now, as I'm sure you noticed." She paused to make sure Lulu was following. "She informed me of you latest dispute and -" Lulu cut off stupidly.

"What? Maxie you had no right to do that!" Lulu shouted angrily. "Did she try and tell you it was my fault somehow? Because it wasn't okay? Everything that happened was Maxie's fault, she is a -" This time it was Kate who cut Lulu off.

"Enough Lulu. You are not here to yell and cry about your broken love life. Maxie told me the basics of what happen, she left out the details. Who's to blame is completely irrelevant to Crimson so don't bother with the accusations. I see no reason why the two of you can't continue to work here together. Do you?" She questioned, her tone was like a dare.

"No." Lulu muttered, looking beyond livid.

"Okay then. I just have a few simple rules to make clear. You're personal lives will not interfere with my business, end of story. If I catch either of you undermining Crimson in any way you will be fired on the spot. Further more, the termination of one of you no longer results in the termination of the other." As Kate geared up to go on, Lulu once again interjected.

"Wait so…" Lulu looked slightly confused and slightly constipated.

"Maxie will not be fired if you are fired and vise versa. Also, I don't want any of your male suitors dropping by unannounced anymore. That includes Johnny and Spinelli, unless I say otherwise." She noted seriously. Both girls nodded.

"I'm fine with that. I don't even speak to Johnny anymore, you may want to check with Maxie though." Lulu snidely remarked.

"That kind of underhanded comment will not be tolerated here Lulu. I hate to sound like a grade school teacher but, if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all. I don't have the time to monitor your playground fights." She scolded.

"Sorry." Lulu mumbled.

"Okay, now that everything is settled, you may go back to work. Both of you." She informed them. Looking away, Kate made it clear that she was done with them. Maxie took the initiative and turned to walk away. Lulu followed close behind and neither said a word until Kate's doors were closed safely behind them.

"I can't believe you tattled on me." Lulu spat as she walked towards her own desk.

"I tattled on myself you idiot." Maxie fired back.

"I'm sure you did. God, your version of the truth is always a little different than the actual truth. Isn't it?" Looking at her computer screen, the blonde squinted her glittering eyes in frustration.

"I'm not the one who lives in a permanent state of delusion. Estimated population? Lulu." Maxie replied sarcastically.

"Whatever. I hope you know that you've basically cost yourself this job." Maxie's head snapped up at Lulu's words.

"Excuse me?"

"Now that our jobs are completely independent of each other, I'll be doing everything in my power to get you fired." She smiled in satisfaction. Her cat like grin was beyond annoying.

"Poor, delusional, little Cindy Lu Who… you just don't get it do you? I've been covering your ass ever since you started this job. With out me to pick up your slack, you'll be out of here in less time than it took for me took get Johnny into bed. And trust me, that didn't take long at all." Smirking evilly, Maxie scribbled down some notes.

"You're forgetting something Maxie."

"What's that Princess Spencer?"

"You, are the one who has something to lose. This job isn't the most important thing in my life. In fact, I only took this job so that I could make your life miserable. And it looks like I'm finally back to my original game plan." Lulu's face held a new sort of determination. For a second, Maxie wondered if she had pushed her too far.

"Go ahead Lu Loser, give it your best shot. It might actually be fun to watch you trip over your own big, knock-off shoe clad, feet." Maxie smiled in mock sweetness.

"I'm a Spencer." Lulu stated, as though it were supposed to insert fear into the hearts of millions.

"And I'm so happy you've finally learned your last name."

"I am the daughter of Luke and Laura Spencer. I am strong and independent, and I am not to be messed with." She continued, as though she were advertising her worth.

"What you are, is dreaming. So wake up and smell the reality Ms. Spencer." Maxie replied, rolling her eyes. "Your father is a washed up con man, you're dupe of a brother makes manipulation so easy it's boring and your mother-" Maxie paused. She had been ready to say something truly horrible about Laura Spencer. But something stopped her. A tiny little nagging voice in her head, sounding suspiciously like Georgie, told her to hold back. "Well, your mother was always too perfect to do anything as exciting as plotting revenge."

"If you want to underestimate me, that's fine. It'll only make things easier." Lulu quipped.

"You've already made the biggest mistake in exacting revenge you dumb ass. You told me you were out to get me! You're not supposed to tell the person you're sabotaging that you're sabotaging them!" Maxie nearly shouted. She was almost angry at how useless Lulu was when it came to the art of revenge. It was simply embarrassing.

"I could tell you every detail of my plans and I would still have the upper hand. Like I said before Maxie, you're the one who has something to lose." With a final glare, Lulu logged off her computer and headed for the elevator. Maxie allowed her to leave, with out interjecting to get the final word. Sometimes words were meant to be said in solitude.

"I have everything to lose." She whispered to herself. "Which is exactly why I'm going to win."

**00000 00000 **


	13. Desperate

Authors Note: Here is the next chapter. Sorry it took so long to get up. I've been really busy. The next one shouldn't take so long. I really hope you like it. Sorry for the lack of JoMax! Comment Please!

**Chapter 13 : Desperate**

_Boom, bang, boom, bang…_

Bullets flew forward, echoing hollowly in the cold, bare room. One after one, the lethal devices speared towards the intended target. Never blinking, Johnny continued to pull the trigger. Over and over again, he watched as the bulls eye was struck soundly. The faces of enemies and foes flashed through his mind as he fired the weapon. Hatred was something that Johnny Zaccharra was very familiar with. Hatred had driven the mob prince to commit unthinkable crimes. And hatred would keep him alive in this life, it would keep Maxie alive.

"You wanted to meet with me." A calm voice suddenly rang through Johnny's loud gunfire and even louder thoughts. He turned to see Jason Morgan standing tall, with his shoulders squared and a serious look on his face. As if the notable hit man could look anything but serious.

"We need to talk about my father." Johnny answered his unasked question. Both men held themselves in a manor that left little room for games. They were ready to get down to business; in the literal form.

"Fine. Talk."

"I've aligned myself with the Zaccharra organization again." He informed the emotionless mobster.

"I've heard."

"Have you heard that it's all a sham?" Johnny countered, earning a raised eye brow and a doubt full glance. "Look, my sister and I can't work with my father anymore. Not after everything he's done. So we want to take him down. And the best way to do that is to…"

"Attack from the inside." Jason finished, nodding along. It was a simple concept, but extremely dangerous to pull off. Anyone who knew anything about the business knew the consequences of betrayal. And in the case of Anthony Zaccharra, it was common knowledge that family was not exempt from those consequences.

"Exactly."

"I'm still not sure why I'm here." Jason responded.

"Maxie." Johnny replied before firing another shot. The sound of her name drown in the echo of the bullet. But Jason received the message loud and clear. If possible, his entire body became even more rigid.

"What about her?" Jason's words were tight and accusing. It was clear that he already had some idea of where this conversation was heading. And he didn't like it one bit.

"You know about the situation with Lulu, right?" He questioned, firing another shot, and then another immediately after. Johnny's eyes remained focused on his target, never once did they waver.

"I know parts of the situation. Why don't you fill me in on the whole thing." Jason requested, his tone was like that of a snake, ready to strike at any moment. Johnny knew that if he made one wrong move Jason would have his own firearm out and ready in a single second.

"When I decided to return to my families business, I knew that it was unsafe for Lulu to stay with me. I also knew that she wouldn't accept that easily. She's stubborn. She'd fight me on it and end up in danger." He explained. Jason nodded in understanding. He too had been with a woman who'd insisted that she could handle his life, only to realize that she couldn't. In fact, there had only ever been one woman who had truly accepted the dangerous life Jason led; Sam.

"Anyway, the answer to my problem seamed pretty cut and dry. Since the first day I met Lulu, I've know her one weakness when it came to love and relationships." Johnny continued. He lowered his gun and finally turned to meet Jason's gaze.

"Maxie." Jason supplied in a knowing voice. Johnny nodded before turning around again to fire a shot.

"When I met Lulu, she was fresh out of a relationship with Hayes. A relationship that she believed ended because of Maxie. After that they were always competing, always going head to head. Eventually, you know, they formed a friendship. Sort of." He smirked at the last part. "But, they never really grew to trust each other. Especially when it came to men."

"So you figured that Maxie was the answer to your problem. Lulu would catch you and Maxie together, then she'd let you go with out a fight." Jason finished the equation for Johnny.

"No hard questions, no second chances, cut and dry…" Johnny fired three more shots in anger. Things had become far more complicated than he'd planned.

"But Maxie became more than an accomplice." The irritating way that Jason could almost read Johnny's mind was starting to wear on the younger man.

"There's always been an attraction. But she was off limits, for obvious reasons. I could avoid her and rationalize that she was a shallow bitch. But then…" He trailed off and shook his head. He turned around once again to face Jason. This time he set the gun down and removed his protective eye wear. "We were stuck together during the storm. I was finally able to see Maxie as a real person. Her flaws, her mistakes, they all made sense to me. We understood each other in a way that was almost scary. So yeah, things changed."

"Noticeably?" Jason questioned, leading Johnny back to the topic of the impending mob war.

"Apparently. Claudia seams to think that it's obvious, she seams to think my father will target Maxie if things get down to the wire." He answered, letting go of the emotion in voice and grabbing hold of a new detached tone.

"_When_ things get down to the wire, not if. We both know this war won't end well." Jason corrected. Averting his gaze, Johnny nodded shortly.

"I never thought I would be putting her in danger." He choked out.

"Sonny doesn't target woman so you don't even need to worry about him. Just keep an eye on your father and be very careful. I'll put guards on her." Jason replied.

"I'd do it myself but…"

"That would do more harm than good. You need to limit your contact with her. The guards will be there in case we have to deal with the worst case scenario. But it's better for everyone if things don't get that far." He informed Johnny.

"I know. Thank you."

"You were reckless and impulsive. By protecting Lulu you inadvertently put Maxie in harms way. So my help is in no way an offering to you. I'm doing this for Spinelli, because he would be lost without Maxie. I'm doing it for Sam, because Maxie is the best and only real friend she has. And I'm doing this for me. Because that girl, that girl has survived too much to die now. I don't think I could handle walking into her funeral. I couldn't…" He broke off and clenched his jaw in anger. Johnny was stunned by the sheer emotion radiating from the typically stony man.

"I'm sorry." He uttered quietly.

"I know." Jason nodded once. They shared a quick glance, one that spoke of understanding and pain, before Jason turned and walked away. Asking for help certainly wasn't in the Zaccharra nature. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And Maxie was worth any measure.

**00000 00000 **

"Hello, Clarice?" Maxie's impatient voice penetrated through the speaker of her expensive cell phone. Tapping an annoyed heel, she rolled her eyes. Sometimes she could not understand how Clarice had climbed the latter of the fashion industry. The mousy brunette could be as dim as Lulu.

"Yes, I know that Kate said that. Yes, I know that Federico is away on vacation. Yes, I know. For the millionth time, I know. How about, you try telling me something useful? Use a dictionary if it gets to confusing for you. How about that!" The blonde shrieked icily before slapping her phone shut and stomping her foot like a two year old child. "Ugh!"

"Who made the fatal error of pissing you off?" The typically confident voice of Patrick Drake shook Maxie from her rage induced bubble. The slight quiver in his crooked smile drew her curiosity out of hiding. She smiled at him briefly as he walked forward to look over the pier with her. The even waves of water contrasted severely with the mood both were emitting.

"Clarice." Maxie answered rolling her eyes for good measure. "The stupid Twinkie can't even handle a simple mix up of samples with out crying to me. I mean, I don't mind cleaning up her messes but I should at least be getting the same salary as her if I'm doing all of the work." She ranted, sensing that Patrick wasn't the type to open up right away. She would have to ease him into it.

"Sounds like being a fashion intern isn't all that different from being a medical intern. All of the work and none of the respect." He noted as the wind rattled the waves in the water. The winds were changing, so to speak.

"It totally sucks." She pouted, before turning to sit on the vacant bench. Patrick chuckled to himself and then filled the seat next to her. The two had never really had a close relationship but, they'd always gotten along. In fact, they were similar in a lot of ways.

"That seams to be a common trend in life." She raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"Okay Mr. Cryptic, in need of a hair cut, guy… what's up with you?" She questioned bluntly. She was way too busy to spend the afternoon easing her way into the tangled mind of Patrick Drake. The man could be more evasive than Jason Morgan when he wanted to.

"It's Robin." He answered after a moment. Maxie blinked in shock, she hadn't expected an answer so quickly. In fact, she hadn't expect _that _answer so quickly.

"What's wrong with Robin? Is she okay? Are you two fighting?" Her hurried questions came out fluidly, full of worry and even panic. Robin was among the only family Maxie had left. The idea of losing her was absolutely unacceptable.

"I don't know, no, and yes." He answered her questions sequentially. She glared at him sharply, indicating that his answer was by no means expectable.

"Fine. I don't know what's wrong with her Maxie. But there _is_ something wrong I mean, haven't you noticed?" He questioned, looking desperate for her agreement. He needed assurance that he wasn't crazy, he wasn't just making this up in his head.

"Well I- I haven't spent much time with her lately." She admitted, looking away guiltily. Maxie had been drowning in her own sea of problems, and that didn't leave much room to rescue others.

"But the time you have spent with, she's been different. Hasn't she?" He urged. Maxie bit her lip and thought hard about what he was asking. She let her mind wander back to every conversation, every interaction she'd had with Robin in the last month or so.

"Yes." She finally answered. "Do you think that… well, what do you think it is?" She asked, looking scared of the answer. Patrick too looked fearful as he swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak.

"Post Partum." He choked out. Maxie sucked in a deep breath. Even though a large part of her had excepted that answer, hearing it out loud was much harder than she'd imagined. Robin had always been stable and responsible. No matter what life had thrown her way, Robin had handled it with grace and maturity. In fact, there was almost nothing that her cousin couldn't master. She was a lot like Georgie in that way. But now, something had changed inside of her. Robin's eyes were darker than before, her presence was less comforting. Something else was taking away a member of the Scorpio/Jones family again. Maxie wasn't sure she could handle watching Robin break.

For the first time in her life, she understood what it was like for the people around her. Because Maxie herself had shattered, over and over again. Each time Mac, Robin, and Georgie were there to glue her back together. This time it was Robin who would need gluing. How could someone who was already broken, help fix someone else's cracked reality? How could Maxie help save Robin if she couldn't even save herself? The situation hit her like a ton of bricks.

"What do we do?" She whispered. It didn't matter if she was unqualified to help Robin. It didn't matter if she was utterly terrified of making things worst. Robin was family; and Maxie Jones always stepped up to bat for family.

"I don't know." He answered brokenly. The tears in his eyes mirrored her own wet orbs. It was at that moment, that Maxie came to terms with the perpetual torture she would always face. She would always be drowning; in tears, in blood, in death, and in life. There was always too much of something. _Too much_.

"We need to help her. We need to help her." She repeated the statement again. The more she said it, the more she believed it. The words sunk into her skin like cement. Maxie would help Robin get through this. She would help Johnny keep Lulu safe. She would help Kate run the magazine. And she would make sure that Mac didn't lose another daughter. One way or another, Maxie was going to survive. Not because she wanted to, not because she deserved to. She was going to survive because that is simply what she had always done and always would do. She was a daughter, a sister, an intern, a bitch, a friend, a whore, and a liar. But first and foremost, Maxie was a survivor.

**00000 00000 **

"I have an offer for you."

"Go on."

"First, I need to know that you'll keep this between us. No one can know that I came to you for this. No one." Lulu Spencer spoke firmly, trying her best to seam in control. In reality, she was so nervous, so out of her element, that she felt light headed with anxiety.

"Okay, now I'm intrigued. Continue." The Australian voice of Ethan Lovett responded.

"I want you to seduce Maxie Jones." She spat the name with hatred.

"That fiery little blonde? I'm in." He clapped his hands together and grinned widely.

"You don't even know the terms yet." She replied, looking annoyed.

"I don't need to know them. She's a right fox." He grinned even wider as he poured himself a concoction using various brands of hard liquor.

"She's a bitch." Lulu corrected.

"Ah, I sense some bad blood. Is this about that little show you two put on the other night. I have to say, I was holding my breath for something a little more physical. But the verbal spat was a turn on too." His smarmy smirk turned the inside of Lulu's stomach. Coming to Ethan had been a desperate move, but a necessary one. It would take more than sabotaging Maxie at work to ruin the blonde bombshell.

"I need you to destroy her." Lulu let her eyes burn holes into Ethan's. He had to know that this was serious. This was important.

"Whoa, I ah… I don't like to hurt woman. Handcuff, whips, chains, that sort of this is alright but…" He threw his hands up in surrender.

"I didn't mean physically you idiot! I just need you, to help me, completely fuck, her stupid life up. Like she did to mine." She spoke to him slowly as if she were talking to a toddler. His face hardened at her mannerism.

"What's in it for me." He finally began to talk as though it were a business deal. His change in demeanor made Lulu happy. She was so sick of being looked at as a child. A stupid, naïve, child.

"A thousand dollars." She responded. He tapped his chin as though he were thinking it over. "Or more, depending on how things go." She relented.

"Hmmm…" He continued to keep her waiting.

"You'll be a legend if you pull this off." She added.

"A legend?"

"Maxie Jones has fallen a million times. But she always gets back up. You and I could be the ones to keep her down. For good." Her cold words were surprising to Ethan. This was not the Lulu Spencer he had heard so much about. This was a girl who had been hurt. Hurt so badly, and so much, that she had decided to hurt back.

"And if I decide to back out?" He questioned, concerned about the level of her hatred. Ethan was okay with ripping people off and conning them. But he did draw certain lines.

"We'll play it by ear. If there's something that you're not willing to do, then I'll figure something else out." She amended. He took another moment to consider the option. Finally a slow smile began to spread across his face.

"You've got yourself a deal." Sticking his hand out he agreed to the terms. She smirked back at him and shook his hand. In a twisted sort of way, Lulu was excited. She was tired of being the victim. She was so tired of being the girl who ended up looking like a fool. This time Maxie Jones was going to be the one to get played.

**00000 00000 **


	14. Done Deal

Authors Note: Hi there. Sorry it took so long for this chapter to get posted. I'm trying my best to keep things moving. I just have so much plot to go through (my problem is usually the opposite) and it's hard to arrange it all with out losing the JoMax romance. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this section! Comment please.

**Chapter 14: Done Deal**

_Jingle, jangle, jingle, jangle…_

Swinging his keys swiftly around his nimble fingers, Johnny took a deep breath as he prepared to enter a fiery hell of shrieking and screeching. The ground felt unnaturally hard beneath his stable feet. It was as if this journey would be his last. His last moments in the shoes of Johnny Zaccharra; faithful boyfriend, and law abiding citizen. Because everything that followed this meeting would require Johnny Zaccharra; mob prince extraordinaire.

"Let's get this over with." The bitter voice of Lulu Spencer startled him from his murky thoughts. As he was contemplating his new stature in society, Lulu had rounded the corner and snuck up behind him.

"I thought you'd be home already." He responded dumbly. Lulu glared at him briefly before shoving past and jamming her keys into the lock. Slamming the door open, she didn't spare him a backwards glance.

"I'll be needing those back." She bit out, motioning to the shining keys in his hand. He shrugged carelessly and tossed them towards Lulu with out warning. Gasping in surprise, she reached out and caught the keys with the tips of her fingers.

"Great. Thanks. Now get your stuff and get the hell out of here." Despite her show of being angry, Johnny could hear the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. He had been with Lulu for a long time. He had even loved her. Their time together had given Johnny the chance to really figure out Lulu Spencer and her inner workings. The problem was, no matter how hard she tried, Lulu simply could not figure Johnny out in that same way. Not really.

"Okay, I'll make this fast because I know it's what you want." He agreed. She scoffed in outrage as he started for the bedroom door.

"What I want? Do you honestly think that any of this is what I want?" She cried out. Her wet eyes left little to the imagination. This girl's heart was breaking.

"I'm sorry Lulu. Maybe you don't believe that, maybe you'll never believe that. But I am truly sorry for hurting you." His sincere words only hammered away at her heart even more. After a moment Johnny accepted her silence and headed for the bedroom again. But her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I just don't understand what I did wrong. What did I do Johnny…" His breath caught in his throat at her small voice and desperate words. He had done this to her. He had reduced her to a quivering, bitter, heartbroken young girl.

"I promise you Lulu, you did nothing wrong. I was never made to love someone like you. It was wrong for me to even try. The only misstep you made was try to save someone who's too far gone." He explained quietly. She sniffled in response and he stared at her for moment. He let his eyes trace her graceful features and pain stricken expression. He committed her agony to memory; it would be a reminder for him to never lose himself so completely again. Who he was could never be changed, his scars could never fade, and his heart could never fit with the likes of Lulu Spencer.

"What about Maxie?" She questioned. And for the first time since that dramatic night, Lulu said Maxie's name with out a hint of anger or disgust. The name rolled off of her tongue in a swirl of fear and uneasiness.

"Maxie…" He began to speak but quickly closed his mouth and swallowed hard. His voice became thick at the thought of the blonde seductress. And, his heart beat wildly at the thought of her wide blue eyes. "We aren't together. We aren't even sleeping together any more. It was never…" He trailed off yet again, unable to finish the half truth. Because he wasn't sure exactly what was going on with him and Maxie. They weren't together in any traditional sense of the word. But they were far from apart.

"It was just sex. Right, I get it." She replied in a clipped tone. He nodded shortly before slowly creeping into his former sleeping space. Not another word was spoken as Lulu painstakingly watched Johnny pack up his belongings and exit her life.

**00000 00000**

"Would you like to know a secret?"

As if Maxie Jones needed another secret to add to her already long list of lies and deception. As if she needed the added drama. Rolling her eyes and inwardly groaning, Maxie turned around to face the voice that spoke to her unwilling ears.

"Not really." She replied in a bored tone.

"Aw come on, aren't you just the slightest bit curious?" Ethan Lovett turned on his most charming persona, dazzling smile and all. He leaned casually against the counter at Kelly's. Upon seeing the petite blonde through the window, Ethan had decided that now would be the perfect opportunity to lay the ground work for his master plan. Well, technically it was Lulu's master plan.

"Curious? No. Creeped out? Yes." Brushing him off easily, the fashionista took a long sip of her steaming hot coffee. She closed her eyes and let the liquid flow down her throat; it burned in the best possible way.

"I can deal with that. Now, how about you give me the chance to disprove your weary impression and show you a good time. What do you say?" He smirked with pride.

"I say… hell no. Oh and also, not in your wildest dreams." Her sarcastic grin only proved to intrigue the foreign stranger even more.

"You've already made some appearances in my dreams sweetheart. And you were quite feisty might I add." The smarmy grin spreading across his features only fueled Maxie's annoyance.

"Right. Well, this has been a fun waste of time but, I've got to go. Some people have things to do other than pick pockets and toss around lame pick up lines." With a final glare Maxie harshly slammed past Ethan. His conceded smirk never faltered as he watched her moved through the doorway.

"At least she's been paying attention to me." He noted with pleasure.

**00000 00000 **

The air was translucent and almost unearthly as the hollow footsteps of a man on a mission marched across the silent graveyard. The dusky sky set forth the imagery of a classic horror movie cut out. The additions of a full moon and echoes of a howling wolf were the only clichés missing from the eerie scene.

"Maxie." Johnny spoke quietly, as if he were afraid to alter her state of being in any way. Her blonde hair hung loosely in front of her eyes as she knelt next to the cold marble of her sister's grave stone.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned with out looking away from the etching of her sisters unusual name. Normally Johnny would fire back with a quip or a light jab. But the presence of so much death combined with Maxie's intangible zest for life seamed too unsteady to chance.

"I saw your car." He answered simply. He had been driving to the Zaccharra mansion when he'd spotted the shining car he recognized as Maxie's, parked right along side the cemetery entrance. With out a rational thought in his head, he had veered to the side and halted to a stop. His feet closed the distance between them and his heart reached out to hold her close.

"That doesn't really answer my question. What are you doing _here_?" She asked him, emphasizing their exact location and the meaning behind it. She softly trailed her fingers along the lettering of her sister's name. Then slowly she rose to her feet and wiped her delicate hands clean.

"I don't know. I had to see you." His reply was no where near good enough and he knew it. But, it was the only answer he had.

"I thought we weren't going to do this Johnny." She sighed, looking away from him. If someone asked her to pin point the exact moment where things had gotten so irreversibly complicated, she was sure she'd be at a loss for words.

"Will you tell me about her?" He avoided her question and glanced to Georgie's headstone. A part of him just want to leave behind all of the worries and hurt that would come of the query. Another part of him, a bigger part, just wanted to know her better. He wanted to know everything.

"Georgie was brilliant, and kind, loyal and giving. Actually if you just sort of think of everything I'm not… that was Georgie." She responded, rushing her words and stepping away from the grave.

"That's not what I meant. Just, just tell me about her. Something unimportant. Something special. Something nobody else knows." He urged. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion for a moment. His request was unlike anything she'd ever been asked.

"I don't know what you want me to say." She admitted.

"Anything. Don't think so much just… start talking." The encouraging words seamed to spark something in Maxie. With in seconds her eyes were bright with a light he had never seen before. A light that could only be reflecting the love of one sister for another, and the pure joy that could come of it. After a moment Maxie began to speak, her voice full of longing and fondness, lost in a memory.

"She was terrible at jumping rope. Which is probably why I always wanted to do that. And as a kid, even her food had to be neat and perfect. I remember she would eat so meticulously. A bite of meat, a bite of the side dish, and a bite of vegetable. She'd just go around and around her plate and…you don't really care about that." She paused mid memory, a gentle smile still hidden beneath her eyes.

"No, that's perfect. That's what I wanted to hear." He assured her. Johnny had shared only a hand full of encounters with the late Georgie Jones. Hearing about her made him feel like he knew her a little better. And knowing her meant knowing Maxie, the real Maxie.

"Sometimes I think she was the only one who ever really knew me." Maxie's voice cut through his thoughts as though she were reading them word for word.

"I know I shouldn't say this but, I'd like to know you Maxie." His statement said more than either one was will to admit. All of the avoiding and denying had lead to this moment. It had come to the point where neither one of them could continue to deny their deepening connection. They were too far gone.

"What are we going to do Johnny?" She asked. Her eyes begged for him to have the answers, to say the magic words. But at the same time her tight lipped pout told him that she wasn't expecting any sort of happy ending.

"It would be best if I stayed away from you." Johnny told her with certainty. Her face lit up with a fire that could rival any weapon yielding man or woman he'd ever seen. Her weapon of choice was the simple act of breath, living. Because all she had to do was stay alive and Johnny was under her control. Her mere presence had him at her mercy.

"If that's how you feel." She replied in a tight voice. Maxie Jones was too proud to beg. Especially for a guy who had used her to save the girl he loved. A girl she was sure wasn't herself.

"It's what I know Maxie. Every second I talk to you, I put you in danger. And I hate myself for it. I hate that I can't stay away from you. But I feel like I'm going crazy and you…" He began to explain himself the best way he knew how.

"Do not say that I make you sane. For God's sake please don't say that." She spat.

"No. No you certainly don't make me sane. You make me a different kind of crazy Maxie. In a way it scares me more than my regular crazy. But I can't let it go and I can't let you go." He admitted.

"Try."

"I have."

"Try harder."

"Do you really want me to?"

"Of course not." She scoffed, completely unashamed of her words. Johnny prepared to respond but the vibration of his phone signaled a call. His sister's name flashed across his screen and he sighed in frustration.

"Go." She spoke. Her words were understanding, not angry or annoyed.

"I want to hear more, about Georgie, and about you." He whispered honestly. With a final nod he ducked his head down and pressed his lips to her temple. For a single heartbeat he allowed his mouth the privilege of feeling her soft skin. When the moment was over he turned to walk away, the feeling of her eyes followed him the entire way to his car.

**00000 00000 **

"Ric knows."

"How." Johnny's jaw clenched at the news Claudia had just delivered. Things were growing more and more grave. This war had barley begun and already there were more players than he could keep track of.

"I don't know." Johnny shot her a doubtful look. "I'm serious John. He's not talking and frankly I'm in no position to push him." She explained. Johnny shook his head in frustration.

"How could this happen Claudia!" He yelled, slamming his hand against the wooden desk closest to him. They were present in the Zaccharra mansion at the moment. Thankfully Anthony was busy with back to back meetings all night.

"Hey! Don't blame me for this little brother." She argued.

"I'm not, I just…" He groaned tiredly. He really hadn't meant to snap at Claudia, but he was just so angry about the whole situation. "This is too much."

"You said you were prepared to do this. You said you were ready to come back to the organization." She reminded him quietly.

"I was, I am. I just didn't think so many people would be involved." Johnny replied truthfully.

"Is it people you're worried about, or is it Maxie?" Apparently he was transparent as hell.

"Do you need to hear me say it Claudia? Do you really need the words?" He grit out, looking angry and lost. Essentially the dark, brooding man was being backed into a corner.

"_You_ need to hear you say it John. You need to say it out loud for your own benefit." She gently urged her younger sibling. All pretenses and facades had fallen. This was a raw moment between a girl and her younger brother.

"I'm falling in love with her." He admitted. The words felt explosive in his mouth, like he was changing the world just by saying them. And maybe he was.

"I know." She whispered. Reaching up, Claudia pat his cheek affectionately. Everything inside of her wished that she had the power to fix things for Johnny. She wanted to take care of him and give him the happy life he'd never been allowed to have.

"What do I have to do to keep her safe." His voice took on a business like tone now, hard and limitless. Claudia understood this change of demeanor and removed her hand. She purposefully turned and walked to a drawer before reaching in her pocket and removing a key. She unlocked the drawer and revealed a top of the line gun. With out saying a word she handed Johnny the weapon.

"Who?" He questioned, unaffected.

"Ric." She uttered. With one meaningful nod, the deal was done.

**00000 00000**


	15. Progress

Authors Note_: Wow, it has been so long since I updated. I'm sorry for the wait. I hit a bit of a road block in the story, plus I've been incredibly busy. I will do my best to update again with in the next month. I should be less busy now so it'll be easier. I'm sorry for the wait and I hope so of you are still invested. Comment please!_

**Chapter 15: Progress **

_Ew, ew, ew, ew! Ah! Oh my god! Oh. My. God. It's huge!_

Shrieks of panic flew through the air and a stampede of tiny toes scrambled to reach safety. Rushing to climb over chairs and coffee tables, two pairs of legs hurried to reach the couch. Grasping each other tightly and holding on for dear life, Sam and Maxie screamed.

"Kill it."

"You kill it."

"It's your apartment."

"No, uh ah, no way. It's our apartment."

"Your older."

"Your… blonde-er?"

"That thing is like Godzilla!" Maxie protested with real fear and disgust lacing each of her words. The two young woman were currently huddled together on the couch, trailing their eyes on a large spider.

"Well we can't just sit here." Sam pointed out.

"Go get your gun and shoot it or something." Maxie advised. Rolling her eyes, Sam untangled herself from Maxie's grip and pulled out her cell phone.

"What are you doing? Who are you calling?" The impatient blonde pressed. Shooing her away and making motions for her to quiet down, Sam hit number 4 on her speed dial and listened as the line rang.

"Can you get here right away? We have a problem, a big problem. You are? Oh good. See you soon." Letting out a deep breath, Sam hung up and smiled in relief. "Our hero is only seconds from arrival. He was coming over anyway so he should be here any minute."

"Who?" Maxie questioned, her eyes still glued to the hairy spider as it made it's way across the otherwise clean floor.

"It is I, the Jackal!" Making a unique entrance, Spinelli spun through the door dramatically. "I have come to slay the dragons haunting your newly cohabitated abode. Where doth thy beast lie?" He bellowed. Raising their eyebrows in unison, Sam and Maxie pointed their shaking fingers in the direction of the spider.

"Oh, but it's just a, well never mind that. The Jackal will rid you of your evil pest." Puffing out his chest, Spinelli strode forward and picked up a magazine from the coffee table. As he began to swing the paper at the spider, another screech sounded.

"NO! Are you crazy? Not the new issue of Crimson, I came up with two of the spreads in that issue. Use the phone book or something." Maxie whined. Sighing in defeat, the computer wiz dropped the magazine and replaced it with a few envelops of junk mail. With one swift motion he abolished the spider and then disposed of it in the trash.

"There. Your lair of sacred womanhood is once again cleansed." He smiled proudly. It was really almost comical, the way he took pride in his small act if chivalry.

"Oh Spinelli! You totally saved us." Maxie cried in joy as she launched herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. Sam smiled as well and gave him a hug of her own. The lucky nerd was in the middle of most men's hottest fantasy.

"I did, didn't I?" He smiled happily. Maxie disentangled herself from the thin man and flopped down on the couch as if she were exhausted.

"That better be a one time incident Sam." She quipped. The brunette made a face and stuck out her tongue at the younger blonde.

"Well if someone didn't bulldoze their roommate's relationships then that someone wouldn't have to worry now would they." The teasing tone of Sam's voice kept the moment light.

"Isn't that the pot calling the pan black?" Maxie fired back.

"Ah, um, it's actually the pot calling the kettle black. The kettle…" Spinelli mumbled to himself.

"Whatever. We're both equally whorey and that's why we make such great friends." She squealed, jumping up and squeezing Sam's shoulders.

"That and, we're way cooler than other chicks." Sam added.

"And hotter." Maxie continued.

"Tougher."

"Smarter."

"More fun."

"Just… better." Maxie mused, giggling in delight. She loved the friendships she had acquired through out her young adulthood. As a teenager she could never quite get it right. She always chased the popular crowd. Or she would get too caught up with a boy to pay much attention to friends. She had never really been able to depend on people other than family. No one wanted to be friends with someone as destructive, mean, and fabulous as Maxie. But Sam was just as fabulous and Spinelli was so out there that he fit in an odd sort of way. The trio of friends was strange, strange but beautiful.

"I can't help but agree." Spinelli spoke up. A moment later a glint entered his eyes. "I think Stone Cold agrees as well." He continued, giving Sam a knowing look.

"Spinelli." She warned firmly. Sam was like a surrogate big sister to Spinelli.

"Fair Samantha, I am simply stating the obvious connection that has recently been reappearing between you and my faithful master. I mean, you can not simply ignore the abundance of history shared. I think it's only natural that you were to one day magnetically attract one another's presence yet again. And if I may be so bold… there is no logical reason to fight nature any longer." After his lengthy rant, Spinelli took a deep breath and braced himself.

"I'm not even getting into this right now, okay? Jason and I have way too much baggage to ever even consider being together again. And that's something that we both agree on. So give it up." Sam gently responded before exiting the living room with a sad damper to her eyes.

"Way to kill the mood." Maxie joked.

"My intent was never to sadden the goddess." He whispered. Maxie was about to comfort him when her phone sounded, an upbeat ring tone vibrating through the air. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion at the unknown name. Holding up a petite finger, she signaled for Spinelli to excuse her as she flipped open her phone.

"Hello?"

"Don't say a word." The voice of Johnny Zaccharra sounded through out Maxie's slick phone. Her eyebrows shot up instantly at the sound of panic and intensity in his rough voice. She remained silent, unsure of what to say or do. Maxie had been through enough critical situations to know the oncoming signs. Something big had happened.

"I need you. If you're with someone right now then just… apologize for being late. Make it sound like we were supposed to meet earlier." He urged. With out thinking of the implications of her actions, Maxie did as she was told. The simple sentence sprung her, head first, into a whirlwind of lies and deceit that not even she was readily equip for.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe I spaced our date, I'm on my way right now. I'm so, so sorry." She exclaimed, perfectly exhibiting her role. Spinelli looked at her in question.

"Meet me at the garage." And before another word was uttered, the line went dead. Maxie quickly controlled her breathing and contorted her face into the picture of normality.

"So I was supposed to meet this guy for drinks and I completely forgot. Sorry to just leave you hanging like this Spin." She hurried to explain while gathering her things. Her body was aching to see Johnny, to make sure that he was okay.

"Well ah, couldn't you just reschedule or something?" He asked hopefully. Throwing him a sympathetic look Maxie shook her head.

"I would but, the thing is, I could really use a good lay right now. Ya know? And maybe that makes me seam like a whore but I just don't give a damn. I mean guys do it all the time. They go out and search for hot girls to screw. So why the hell can't I do that? I mean, a girl has to do what a girl has to do. You understand right Spinelli? What am I saying, of course you do. You always understand." She rambled, hurrying forward and giving him a brief hug. As he sputtered to find a response, Maxie made her way to the door.

"Stay as long as you'd like and um… oh tell Sam I might not be home tonight. Love you, bye." She called as the door slammed shut and Spinelli's mouth dropped open.

**00000 00000 **

It wasn't until late afternoon that Lulu Spencer cleared her head enough to call her accomplice. She had been mulling over plans in her head for hours, literally hours. And if she stopped long enough to think about it, she would probably be disgusted with this fact. Her life had been reduced to a glorified game of chutes and ladders with Maxie Jones. Because in reality, that's all it really was. One of them would stomp over the other and before long they would both be flying down a chute. Neither one could ever stay on top for too long. And that realization alone should have been enough to make Lulu end the madness and just walk away. She'd always spouted on about being the bigger person and having more class than Maxie 'the tramp' Jones. But where had class ever gotten Lulu Spencer? Alone. After working so hard to trust both Maxie and Johnny, Lulu had once again ended up alone. So for now, her vengeance would have to keep her company.

"Hello there dah-ling." Drawled the thick Australian accent of Ethan Lovett. He strolled up to Lulu with a smarmy grin in place. She fought the reflexive urge to gag. For the sake of her plan, she would have to find a way to get along with Ethan. Even if he held an uncanny recumbence to a dirty cockroach.

"You're six minutes late." She responded, unable to hide the annoyance from creeping into her voice.

"And you are looking the picture of perfection this afternoon dear Lesley Lu." He replied.

"Don't call me that. Sit down." Her orders felt foreign to her own ears. The sharp bite to her voice almost reminded her of the tone that Maxie used while working at Crimson. This notion sent a shiver down her spine. And for the second time that day she chose to ignore the fact that she was well on her way to becoming everything that she despised.

"Don't get your undies in a twist gorgeous."

"Have you made any progress?" She question, ignoring his previous comment.

"With…"

"With Maxie you idiot. You know, the whore I'm paying you top dollar to sleep with." Her rant was nearing hysterical and her entire body was ready to pounce. If Ethan didn't come through for her, then she didn't know what she would do.

"Oh yes, that. It's coming along splendidly." He answered shortly. The steam practically rolled off of Lulu as she simmered in her anger.

"Would. You. Care to. Elaborate." She bit out. His eyes twinkled as she grew more and more on edge. It was as if Ethan were playing his own game. A game that he was certain to win if it only meant upsetting the emotional Spencer girl.

"Well, I've bumped into her a few times and laid on the charm. She's definitely warming up. The last time I hit on her she only called me a scum bag twice." He explained. Lulu raised her hand to her temple and rubbed it tiredly.

"This isn't going to work." She muttered.

"What?" He snapped, face falling.

"This, this stupid tactic you've been using. Maxie may be a slut, but she isn't completely stupid." It looked as if the admission actually cause the blonde physical pain.

"I don't follow."

"The goal is still the same. You'll sleep with Maxie and then we'll proceed to destroy the shallow tramp. But we'll need to tweak the game plan. We'll need to treat this situation like…" She trailed off in deep thought. Finally her eyes widened in realization, as if a light bulb had gone off.

"Logan." She uttered quietly, a sad spark lighting up in her eyes. Ethan was similar to Logan in a lot of ways. He had the uncanny ability to piss people off but, intrigue them all at once. And Maxie's treatment of Logan was not much different than her treatment of Ethan. Logan was the boy Maxie went to when she felt the need to self destruct. When everything was crashing around her and she felt like it was all slipping away, Logan had helped Maxie pull the proverbial trigger herself. Now all Lulu had to do was put Maxie in that same position again, give her that same feeling. And Ethan would be there to gently coax her finger towards that symbolic trigger yet again. It was perfect.

Ethan scrunched his face in confusion. "Logan? What, you want me to change my identity? My name?" He questioned.

"No. Logan is this guy. In fact, he's probably the one who came closest to destroying Maxie. If we could figure out a way to use Maxie's experience with Logan to our advantage… god, we could ruin her." The small smile forming on Lulu's lips was enough to let Ethan know that she was in this for the long hall. Lulu Spencer was dead set on hurting Maxie in the worst way possible. And for the first time in a long time, Ethan was unsure if he liked his odds in the so called gamble.

**00000 00000 **

"Johnny?" Maxie called out to the mob prince as she opening the door to the garage. It was dark and damp in the unlit area, but a small light flickered from the back. Before she could take another step, the shadow of Johnny appeared in front of her.

"Thanks for coming." He uttered, sounding almost out of breath. Her brow crinkled in confusion as she took in his mangled appearance. His hair was tussled, his clothes wrinkled, and his face full of worry and regret.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She question, instinctively moving forward. Her arms itched to wrap around him and before long she found her fingers toying with the end of his shirt. The heat between them was almost tangible.

"Maxie- I, I don't even know where to begin." He ran a hand through his hair before dropping both hands to her shoulders and squeezing them gently. The intense look in his eyes scared her a little. But even more frightening was that the edgy anticipation she felt when she was with him was beginning to feel like home. Maybe it always had. Maybe it was only now that she was able to name it, recognize it.

"Tell me everything. You know you can trust me Johnny." She pleaded.

"I know, I just- I don't want to involve you like this. But I didn't know who else to call." He looked almost ashamed of his decision. It was literally killing him to have brought her here. The entire night had begun with the understanding that she would be protected at all costs. But somewhere along the way, the web had weaved a path that Johnny was unsure of. And in his unsure state, he had clung to the one thing that he was sure or; Maxie.

"I'm glad you called me." She whispered, moving her hands to rest on his abdomen. "What's that?" She questioned when she felt a wet, sticky substance. "Oh my god! Johnny are you bleeding?" She choked, recognizing the feel of the all too familiar wetness.

"It's not mine." He quietly spoke.

"What do you mean it not- oh, oh my god, oh wow. Okay so you- you just, okay right. I can handle this. This is fine, we'll just, we'll figure this out." She rambled to herself, backing away from Johnny just slightly. But the slight movement, that little bit of space, was enough to break his once cold heart. _Please don't hate me, _he repeated over and over again in his head.

"Let me explain." He hurried.

"No, it's fine. Just tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it." She assured him, still looking uncertain and worried. She would grit her teeth and bare this, even if it killed her. Johnny had saved her and now she would return the favor.

"Come with me." He held out a hand. Her eyes questioned his, but his only response was an encouraging nod. Hesitantly she let her hand fall into his own. He slowly led her to the back of the garage, where the light was still flickering.

"I'm so sorry Maxie, I'm so sorry I'm putting you through this." He apologized again as they walked forward.

"It's okay Johnny. Everything will be-" She stopped speaking as he opened a curtain to reveal the shape of a human body on the couch. The couch that they had shared heated kisses on. The couch that they had spilled their hearts and emptied their souls. But she wouldn't remember those things anymore. Now she would only remember it as the couch where a pale, bleeding, dying, Ric Lansing lay almost motionless.

"Fuck." She finished her sentence. And yes, they certainly were fucked.

**00000 00000**


	16. For You

Author's Note:_ Finally, here is the new chapter. I know it took me a long time to post. I haven't had much inspiration. But I think I'll have the next one up much much sooner! Stay tuned and please leave a review._

**Chapter 16: For You**

**… … …**

The unsettling silence of shock and confusion felt thick and heavy in the grease filled air of the garage. Johnny's dark brown orbs drown in an ocean of blue swirls. Nothing short of an explosion would be able to shake the young lovers from their graceless reverie. That or…

"God, god, someone help." Coughed Ric from his position on the ragged old couch. His abdomen was bandaged tightly with gauze and tape. But dark, jewel colored blood saturated the outside edges. Beads of sweat poured down Ric's face as he struggled to open his heavy lidded eyes.

"Johnny." Maxie whispered his name so quietly that the groans coming from Ric overpowered her words. But Johnny heard her, some how he always heard her.

"I know what this looks like." He began.

"I don't care. I don't- I don't want to know what happened. I don't want to know what your intentions were. Just tell me what you want me to do. Okay? Just, do you want me to finish him off? Huh? Are we just waiting for him to die and then you want me to help you with the body? Because if that's the case then maybe I should change into something more appropriate. You know, like something blood repellent." She rambled aimlessly, as usual. But her wild eyes were too chaotic to hide her fear. She was scared because of him. Johnny wanted to shoot himself right in the heart. But the biggest part of him knew that wasn't the answerer. Because his heart was no longer there, it was in the hands of Maxie Jones, and that's where it would stay. For better or for worst.

"Maxie!" He snapped, calming her rant. Her eyes flew up to his own, haunted with questions. "I need you to help me save his life." He explained.

"Oh thank god." Ric coughed from nearby. Shooting him a dirty look, Johnny grabbed Maxie's hand and pulled her just slightly away from the bleeding man.

"Save his life? Okay I know I said I didn't want to know what happened but…" She trailed off looking utterly confused. Johnny couldn't blame her. The situation was, well it was just left of insane.

"I wasn't the one who shot Ric." He began, looking tired and maybe a little sick.

"Well that's great." Maxie sighed, looking relieved. "Now let's just call 911 like normal people, okay?" She rolled her eyes, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"It's still my fault he got shot Maxie. If we involve the police and hospital, I'll go to jail." He grumbled.

"I'm so not following." She muttered, rubbing her temple.

"One of his… one of his idiot leaches did his job for him." Ric coughed, overhearing the conversation. Johnny slammed his hand against the wall in frustration.

"How many times do I have to tell you; I did not know that Marco was going to be there!" He bellowed, looking annoyed.

"Hold on, Marco? As in one of your father's hot, scary mob men… who is really hot." She questioned, raising her eye brows in wonder. Johnny's face twisted into an even more annoyed stance.

"Claudia had him tail me, obviously I had no idea. Listen, we can talk about this later. Right now I need your help." He quickly steered the conversation back to the original goal; saving Ric Lansing's ungrateful life.

"With…" Maxie was still beyond confused.

"Your cousin Robin, she's friends with Sonny, right? So she'd be willing to-" Before he could finish his thought, Maxie cut in.

"No." Her answer was firm. Looking stung, Johnny turned away. "Robin isn't, she isn't herself lately. Something is wrong and I just can't risk doing something to break her." The words were foreign to Maxie. Robin was always the dependable one. And for the first time in her life, Maxie felt as if she could not depend on her beloved cousin. She couldn't say that Robin would come through for her. That realization was startling. If she couldn't count of Robin, who could she count on? If Robin could fall, break, even shatter; then what kind of hope did that leave for the rest of the world.

"Okay." He quietly accepted the news, nodding in understanding. He knew that Robin was like a sister to Maxie, and he would never ask her to put her family in jeopardy.

"But- well maybe I know someone else who can help." She offered. And with those words, even Ric turned his head, interest peaked.

**00000 00000 **

"Talk fast."

"Nice to see you too love."

"Quit playing games Lovett."

"But I thought that was the whole point, to play one big game on the intoxicating Ms. Jones." Ethan's smarmy grin grated on Lulu's last nerve. What the hell had she been thinking when she hired the perverted idiot?

"You know what, the deal is off." She snapped, turning to leave the deserted corner of Kelly's. Ethan quickly reached out and snatched her wrist, halting her exit.

"Wait. I'm sorry, okay princess. I get it, this is business, no small talk." He raised his eye brows and glanced at the chair to his right. Sighing, Lulu took a seat and motioned for him to speak. She had come this far, she might as well hear him out.

"You see, forming a relationship with Maxie has been a little more difficult than I expected. More difficult than you lead me to believe actually." He admitted.

"Are you saying you aren't up for this?" She fired. A small part of Lulu was hoping that he would give up and in turn, give her a reason to give up.

Lulu would love to destroy Maxie's life. But what she would love even more, is to put her own life back together. The blonde would give anything to go back in time and prevent the inevitable. To sit in her and Maxie's apartment and actually have it be her and Maxie's, not just the empty hollow it had become. She missed Maxie's screeching, her random articles of clothing lying around, even her misguided advice. Lulu missed Maxie, maybe more than she missed Johnny. Because Johnny had just been another boy in a long line of contenders for Lulu's heart. He had been another stepping stone to the fairy tale romance that she yearned for. Maxie on the other hand had been her friend. And Lulu missed her friend.

"No! I can do it, I just… I need some time. And maybe a little more information would be helpful. I mean, what was it this girl did to get you so pissed any how? I can't quite recall." He replied.

"She stole from me." Lulu stated, void of emotion. And with those words all of the reasons for her planning and scheming came rushing back. Maxie had taken the boy she loved, she had taken her dignity, and most of all she had taken her trust. Because Lulu had truly placed her trust in Maxie's perfectly manicured hands only to have it crushed with the force of a Greek god. Maybe hurting Maxie wouldn't fix her own shattered life. But it sure as hell would feel good. Even if only for a moment.

**00000 00000**

"This is a bad idea."

"It'll be fine."

"Maxie…" Johnny said her name the way an artist swished their brush, with meaning and flexibility. His faith in her was unwavering, it was the person she had called upon that caused him to worry.

"Just trust me okay? Besides it's too late to back out now, he's on his way." She reminded him of the call she had made almost twenty minutes ago.

"This guy better be…he better be…" Ric tried to get his sentence out but he kept getting interrupted by fits of coughing.

"Shut up Lansing." Johnny cut in.

"Johnny! You could be a little bit nicer. Ric may be a total slime ball but he is bleeding to death. Oh! Sorry I didn't mean bleeding to death like in the sense of dying, it's just a phrase you know? A stupid one now that I think about it. I'm sure you won't die or anything Mr. Lansing." Maxie rambled with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"You don't have to be nice to him Maxie. He isn't turning me in any time soon. I have enough incriminating evidence stacked up against him to put him in a cell for years." Johnny promised with a smirk. Ric coughed from beside them, though even his cough seamed to have the challenging attitude of the dark lawyer.

"Hello?" A voice called as they entered the garage.

"Oh, in here!" Maxie replied rushing around the corner to greet their visitor.

"You have got to be kidding me." Johnny deadpanned as her saw the face of Matt Hunter.

"Zaccharra." Matt responded in a tone just as flat. The two men took a moment to size each other up. Maxie wanted to gag at their immature behavior. Boys.

"Maxie, what were you thinking calling him?" Johnny hissed.

"We can trust him! He's Patrick's brother and since I don't feel comfortable calling either of them, I figured he would be third best!" She smiled at the brilliance of her logic.

"Third best? Charming." Matt muttered.

"Oh please, you love that I called you." She fired back. Johnny practically growled at the banter taking place in front of him. He was in no mood to deal with Matt Hunter and his leering eyes.

"This isn't a good idea Maxie. I don't trust him." Johnny spoke. Matt scoffed in response, doing a great job of looking offended.

"He's practically family Johnny, and besides he has the whole adventure seeking, thrill loving, under cover bad boy thing going on. Underneath the scrubs, Matt is just boy waiting to break the rules." She explained, attempting to lighten the thick tension.

"Yup, that's me." He smiled. At Johnny's intense glare he continued, "But seriously man, Maxie told me that this was really important. I won't tell anyone."

"What about that dumb oath you doctors all take?" The dark haired mob prince questioned.

"We promise to save lives, not get involved in them." He replied. Johnny seamed to mull the situation over in his head for a moment. Finally he gave a short nod and lead the way to the couch.

"Can you save this life Dr. Hunter?" Johnny asked as he revealed Ric's battered form. Matt blinked back his shock and stepped forward, ready to work.

"Great… you brought me the poor mans Patrick Drake." Ric coughed, looking less than thrilled.

"Are you sure you want me to save him?" Matt questioned, glaring down are the injured man. This would be a long, long night. And with any luck, they'd all make it out alive.

**00000 00000 **

"So what's the new game plan boss?" Ethan questioned Lulu as he munched on a fry and leaned back in his chair. The two schemers had finally wrinkled out their agreement and were now brainstorming a new approach.

"Our goal is to get Maxie to sleep with you." Lulu explained.

"Sounds like fun to me." He grinned causing the blonde to roll her eyes in disgust.

"But it has to be more than that. It has to jeopardize the most important thing in Maxie's life." She continued. The glint in Lulu's hazel eyes sparked with life. She was on the verge of a massive take over. She would be the new bitch in town. She would be the girl that squashed enemies with her enormous high heels. She would finally be the one left tearless.

"And that would be…" Ethan trailed off.

"Crimson."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow." He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"The magazine. Listen, Maxie is dead set on taking the fashion world by storm. And I hate to admit it but she could actually do that. She could actually… achieve her, ugh her dream." Lulu looked nauseous at the prospect. Since when did Maxie Jones waltz her way into getting whatever she wanted. That was more Lulu's style.

"Okay, so how am I supposed to fuck up her job?" Ethan questioned. He was beginning to think that the girl he was working with was a little more crazy than he had once thought. He kind of liked it.

"Would you just shut up and listen!" She was getting frustrated now. Her victory was so close that she could almost taste it. And if it somehow slipped away, Lulu would fly off the handle.

"Please, continue…" He muttered.

"Kate is a stickler for preserving the magazine's image. She checks what we wear everyday just to make sure we're representing the company well. It's ridiculous. But it also works to our advantage. Because Kate is _so_ anal about appearances, all we have to do is make Maxie look bad." She finished looking proud of herself.

"And we'll do that how exactly?"

"A public scandal. The kind that circulates lots of press. Bad press." Lulu smiled with glee. This was her time to shine. Her time to get revenge. Her time to be the bitch.

**00000 00000 **

"Is he gonna make it?"

"Well you know what they say, the cockroaches will outlast us all." Matt sighed as he walked towards Maxie and Johnny. He had just spent hours working on Ric, making sure that the lawyer would live to annoy another day.

"That's good right? That means you won't get in any trouble…" Maxie looked to Johnny, searching for assurance. She needed him to be okay. If nothing else she needed him to be okay.

"I don't know about that." He muttered.

"What? What do you mean you don't know! Isn't keeping Ric alive the best thing to do? I thought you had dirt on him!" Maxie whined and stomped like a child. She was tired, confused, frustrated and scared.

"Maxie don't worry okay, you've helped enough tonight. Just... don't worry." He touched her arm lightly, hoping to comfort her.

"Gee that makes me feels a whole lot better. Listen good Johnny, just because your big and muscular and carry a gun, it doesn't make you invincible. Not to bullets and not to the cops. I've seen people get squashed by lesser demons than Ric Lansing. So please stop cushioning the truth for me. I can handle it." She lectured. Thoughts of Zander, Coop and even Jessie ran through her head. Bullets had taken them all from her.

"I'm just gonna go… hang out with Ric." Matt lamely supplied before turning back around and checking in on his reluctant patient.

"Great, you do that." Maxie replied. She then turned to Johnny with her arms folded and her hip jutted out. The expression on her face left no room for argument. Finally Johnny caved.

"It's bad. It's really, really bad." He admitted.

"What happened?" She whispered, taking his hand and leading him to a chair to sit. He gingerly sat down and sighed with exhaustion.

"I thought I could do this, I thought I was strong enough and smart enough. But things have gotten so crazy. Nothing makes sense anymore." He told her.

"You said that Marco was the one who killed Ric and that Claudia sent him." Maxie responded, hoping to get the full story.

"Yeah, I think so anyway. Marco was one of my father's best hit men. But he was crushing hard on Claudia and she was able to get him under her thumb. When her loyalty switched to Sonny, so did Marco's. He doesn't do anything with out her okay." He replied.

"So Claudia wanted Ric dead. Why?"

"He knows that she was the one who ordered the hit on Michael." He answered.

"Oh, wow. I guess that is a good reason. Well not a good reason, I mean there isn't really a good reason to kill someone is there? Unless they shop at Wal-Mart. Kidding." She rambled needlessly.

"You're rambling."

"You're observant."

"You're scared, I never wanted to scare you." He said softly.

"I'm scared for you, not of you. Why were you at Ric's house anyway?" She questioned.

"I was there to kill him." He answered surely.

"For Claudia?" She asked, never missing a beat.

"For you."

And despite the wheezing a few feet away, despite the snark of Doctor Hunter, despite the chilling air snapping at the windows; Maxie and Johnny only saw, felt and heard each other.

**00000 00000**


	17. Go Fish!

Authors Note_: As always I apologize for the long wait. I actually had fun writing this chapter though. The Ric and Maxie scene was one of my favorites to write in this whole story. I could really hear their voices as I was doing it. So anyway, I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. This is kind of a filler chapter. Comment please!_

**Chapter 17: Go Fish!**

_Click, clack, click…_

The sound of pool balls knocking against one another was surprisingly comforting to Maxie Jones. Though she had never been a huge fan of pool, the unchanging atmosphere of Jake's was welcome. No matter how many things changed in Port Charles, Jake's was always there. Ready and willing to be a distraction in the tremulous lives the PC residents.

"Can we have the next game?" An Australian voice sounded from behind Maxie. She had been hitting the balls around the table on her own, mostly wasting time. She was supposed to meet Johnny at the garage in a few hours.

After Ric had been patched up, they decided to take shifts in watching him. That way they could both attend to their commitments with out raising suspicion. They would only need to watch him for a few days. Once he was back on his feet, Ric was planning to hit the road. Johnny and Ric had drawn up an agreement; they would protect one another… sort of. Neither one was really happy about it. But it was best for both of them.

"Whatever, you can have it now." Maxie spoke before turning to come face to face with Ethan Lovett. He had practically been stalking her for the last few weeks, so it was really no surprise that he had approached her. It was surprising however, to find little Lulu Spencer firmly by his side. "Oh… you." Maxie muttered.

"Yes, me. Now if you don't mind, Ethan and I are trying to have a date here. You know, those things that people go on because they're interested in more than sex. Wait, maybe you wouldn't know." Lulu snapped. Maxie rolled her eyes and tossed her pool stick at Lulu, who caught it just in time.

"Good one Lulu, you really got me there. Have fun on your little date. Word of caution; this goon is like the president of my fan club. So don't be surprised if you don't quite measure up." With that, Maxie walked away from the table and headed straight for the bar. She needed some liquid comfort.

As the minutes passed, she couldn't help but noticed the laughter sounding from the pool table. It seemed as though Ethan and Lulu were genuinely enjoying one another's company.

"Weird." She muttered to herself. She had figured that Lulu was only dating Ethan because he had been interested in her. And in return she figure that Ethan was only biding his time with Lulu, waiting for Maxie to become interested. But maybe she was being to self involved, thinking too much of herself, all in all… pulling a Lulu. She shuddered at the thought.

"Take a picture and well, you know the rest." Coleman's voice caused her to turn away from the happy couple.

"You know what they say about car wrecks, you just can't turn away." She smirked before twirling the straw in her drink.

"The claws are out tonight I see." He laughed.

"I never put them away." She responded, earning another low chuckle from the aged bar owner.

"I believe it. So, what's a girl like you doin' alone in a bar any how?" He question, knowing exactly what girls like Maxie did in bars; caused trouble. Coleman had watched Maxie grow into the girl she was today. The long time bar owner had witnessed the tragic events that had led her to this point. And he had seen what a bottle of tequila could add to those tragic events. It wasn't pretty.

"Reflecting on my incredibly pathetic life." She mused.

"Oh yeah? What's so pathetic about it?" He asked curiously.

"Well my career is in need of some serious CPR, my reputation is DOA yet again and of course my love life… well my love life is hopeless. As always." She smiled sarcastically.

"You and the mob Casanova still tangled up?" Coleman asked as he wiped down the bar with an old rag.

"No. Yes. I don't know… I guess we are. But it's kind of confusing, it gives me a headache." She whined, touching her head with her hands and pouting. Coleman chucked and shook his head.

"So that's why you're frequenting my turf, to drown your sorrows and ease your pain? You and everybody else little missy." He teased. She glared half heartedly.

"Well it turns out that going to a bar to get wasted doesn't really work when you can't get wasted." She muttered. At Coleman's confused glance she continued. "I have to tend to… a responsibility later on. I can't really have my judgment impaired. Although at this rate my judgment sure as hell can't get any worst."

"Chin up Jones. I've seen you bounce back from worst. You're like a cat, you always land on your feet." He encouraged before smiling and turning to a new customers.

"Like a cat?" She muttered in disgust. "I hate cats…"

**00000 00000 00000**

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I knew you'd never get the job done. Even with your precious girlfriends life on the line, you're still too soft for this business John." Claudia's words were neither harsh nor untrue. She spoke casually, with a logical undertone.

"You had no right to send Marco. Do you have any idea what you have created?" Johnny boomed. He had stormed into the Corinthos estate shortly after Maxie had relieved him of Ric watching duty.

"What I created? You're the one who couldn't follow through John!" She yelled back. She loved her brother, but she would not let him turn her into a verbal punching bag.

"I made the decision not to kill Ric because, it wasn't the right thing to do. Not morally and not business wise." He gritted out.

"Of course it was the right move. That rat has the means and motive to blow our lives apart." She bellowed.

"There are other ways of dealing with people Claudia. Sometimes murder isn't the automatic fix it." He muttered angrily. Sometimes his sister frustrated him to no end. And sometimes, as much as it killed him to admit it, she scared him.

"It was this time." She stated firmly.

"No. It's wasn't. Ric is alive Claudia." Johnny admitted, maintaining eye contact with his sister.

"WHAT?" She screamed in outrage. Her teeth glimmered like the point of a blade. She was ruthless and careless. She was lethal. It wasn't until that very moment that Johnny truly realized the weight of that fact.

"I ruined Marco's shot and he only hit Ric in the side. I brought Ric somewhere safe and a doctor patched him up. He's recuperating as we speak." Johnny was now the calm one. The logical one. The roles had reversed so quickly. It was in a Zaccharra's nature to fly off the handle when they didn't get what they wanted. When things didn't go their way. And in the same respect, they became collected and in control when their wishes were met.

"Are you insane? You've written us a ticket straight to hell, you know that right?" She snapped. Her voice was considerable lower, but no less dangerous.

"He won't breath a word of what he knows Claudia." Johnny assured her.

"Oh really John, really? Did he tell you that. Did you two spit and shake on it?" She sarcastically berated him.

"Look I found some files in Ric's apartment while I was waiting for him, incriminating files. Ric needs me to keep my mouth shut as much as we need him to keeps his shut." She looked at him skeptically. "He has a kid Claudia. He's got pictures of her hanging all over his place. I just… I couldn't take a father from his child like that." He explained.

"Oh John…" Claudia sighed, her voice softening. "You really are too soft for this world." She muttered. He smiled self deprecatingly at the comment.

"I'm too hard for the rest of the world though." He mentioned. She nodded sadly. Johnny would always be caught in the in between. The grey area. Never fitting in one place, always searching. Always searching.

**00000 00000 00000**

"Do you have any… threes?"

"Would you just let me sleep already?" Ric coughed in annoyance.

"I'll take that as a no." Maxie responded, fishing for a card to add to her pile. Ric glared at her from his spot on the couch. He was half sitting, half laying on the beat up piece of furniture. Playing cards littered his lap.

"You're turn." Maxie beamed. They were playing 'Go Fish'. Well Maxie was playing, Ric was sort of groaning and complaining. Upon arriving at the garage, Maxie had decided to turn her bad mood around. She was going to try to be positive. Instead of letting Lulu and Ethan's little date bother her, she would let it motivate her. Lulu's triumphs only gave Maxie more fuel to create triumphs of her own. First on the list was kicking Ric's ass at 'Go Fish'.

"I don't. Want. To play." Ric gritted out in frustration.

"Come on! Don't be a sore loser. You could still make a come back. Maybe. Well probably not but still… I want to finish beating you." Maxie whined.

"God, why didn't Johnny just kill me?" Ric groaned.

"Duh, because he'd go to prison." Maxie replied as though his comment had been a serious one.

"Don't you have something better to do with your night. I don't need a babysitter. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a grown man." He argued futilely.

"And in case you haven't noticed, I wasn't born yesterday. There is no way I'm letting you out of my sight Richard. You think I don't know you? You think I don't know how bad you want to get your slimy paws on whatever Johnny is blackmailing you with so that you can shove some tape under my dad's nose and get that tramp Claudia put in jail. Or worst… get her a bullet in the head from ice man Morgan." She ranted, breathing exhaustedly as she finished. Ric looked at her in mild amusement.

"Would that really be so bad? Claudia behind bars or in the ground? Port Charles would be a happier place Ms. Jones." He tempted her.

"But Johnny wouldn't be happy. And if Johnny was upset then I would be too. And my happiness comes way before the rest of this town of morons. Especially you." She replied off handedly.

"Right. I forgot who I was talking to for a minute." He rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat.

There was no point in going up against Maxie Jones, especially not in his weakened state. She was a prosecutors worst nightmare. She had the ability to state her case in a way that made her seem almost crass, but surprisingly honest. Not only that but, any punishment you threatened her with was simply no match. She had already endured life's worst punishments. Any trial involving Maxie would be a lose, lose case. No winner. No perfect outcome. Just pain, and loss, and truth.

"So… pick a card any card." She sang lightly. Ric stared at her for a moment before shaking his head in wonder.

"Do you have any sevens?" He relented.

"Go Fish."

**00000 00000 00000 **

_Shot through the heart, and your to blame, darling you give love a bad name… _

As Johnny walked into Jake's he heard the soft thunder of Coleman's voice, singing along to the jukebox. He surveyed the scene, just as he did any time he entered a new area. The bar was crowded but not overflowing. The atmosphere was relaxed, yet alive with electricity. And Lulu was watching him from her table… like a hawk.

"Hey Coleman, can I have a bear. Whatever you got." He requested, ignoring the pointed look Lulu gave him. She was sitting with Ethan, looking almost bored. Or annoyed. Sometimes it was hard to tell with her.

"Sure thing man." Coleman replied as he retrieved the beverage. "I saw your lady friend here earlier." He mentioned, sliding Johnny the beer.

"Oh yeah?" He answered nonchalantly. Maxie had mentioned that she stopped by Jake's before heading to the garage.

"Yeah. She was shooting daggers at your ex back there. I thought for sure I was gonna have two angry blondes and a mess of broken glass to deal with." He joked.

"Nah, Maxie's not looking for a fight these days." Johnny replied, glancing at Lulu.

"Are you crazy? That girl is always lookin' for a fight. You snagged yourself a real firecracker Johnny boy." He laughed lowly before turning to walk away. Johnny just smiled and shook his head. He was about to survey the room again, when he felt a body come up beside him. He knew who it was before looking up.

"Lulu." He stated.

"Hey." She replied before taking a seat next to him at the bar. Her face was harder than he remembered. More… determine? No. More honest. She was still the same starry eyed dreamer he had met all those months ago. Only now she was a little more jaded, just around the edges.

"So… you and Ethan?" He tilted his head to indicate her Australian counterpart. Ethan was currently playing pool with a guy that Johnny didn't recognize.

"Who I do or don't date isn't exactly your business anymore Johnny." She snapped. He smirked to himself. She was still defensive as hell. The familiar notion some how comforted him. No matter how much things changed, there were still some things that time could never touch.

"Just making conversation." He replied lightly.

"Well don't. I'm not here to exchange pleasantries. I just needed to tell you something before we cut ties entirely." She began.

"Okay." Johnny answered cautiously.

"Thank you." She stated simply.

"Excuse me?" He nearly yelled in surprised.

"I said thank you. Thank you for cheating on me with Maxie. Thank you for showing me that you weren't the right guy for me. And thank you for making it easy for me to cleanse you from my life." She responded, the hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny questioned.

"Look, Johnny I know I don't have the right to run commentary on your life anymore but I don't want to wake up a few months from now feeling guilty because I didn't say my piece. So this isn't for you… this is to ease my own conscious." She continued.

"Lulu, just spit it out." He replied.

"You're gonna get Maxie killed." She spoke flatly. This was it. This was her chance to plant that little seed of doubt in Johnny's mind. It was almost too easy. Lulu didn't even have to lie because each and every word was true.

"Don't worry about me or Maxie." He ground out angrily. He should have know better than to engage in a conversation with the bitter blonde.

"I meant it when I said thank you Johnny. If you hadn't cheated on me with Maxie, then it would have been me in the line of fire. Now it's her. I used to think that if I loved you enough, you could protect me from anything. But you can't. You couldn't protect me from your enemies, you couldn't even protect me from yourself. You think Maxie will fare any better? Because she won't." She explained articulately.

"You were right before Lulu… this really isn't any of your damn business." Johnny snapped, standing up from his seat. Each word Lulu said hammered at his heart.

"Maybe not. But you know I'm right. She isn't as invincible as she likes to think okay? We aren't friends anymore but… but I still know her. She doesn't want to die. As much as she pretends that she doesn't care and that nothing can touch her… she's afraid." Without realizing it, Lulu had began to mean everything she was saying. Somewhere along the line her warning had taken a very real turn. There was still a part of her, bigger than she'd like to admit, that wanted Maxie to be okay. Or at least alive.

"See you later Lulu." Johnny ignored her previous comment and threw a few bills onto the bar before turning to leave. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Do you even care about her at all?" Lulu called as he was walking away. He stopped in his tracks and hesitated. He opened his mouth to respond, but in the end he just kept on walking. It wasn't until he felt the cool air in the parking lot hit his face that he aloud himself to pause again. He leaned against the building's wall before dropping his head and uttering the words he had kept inside.

"I love her."

**00000 00000 00000**


	18. Haunting

**Authors Note:**** Sorry it's been so long again, I'm trying to figure out this plot line. Some of it got too complicated so I'm weeding it down with out completely ruining things. Let me know what you think of this chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter 18: Haunting**

_Thump, Thud, Thump, Thud…_

Johnny's heart hammered against his chest as he entered the cool, dusty garage. Not only was Ric Lansing being set free today, but he and Maxie would finally have some time to themselves. And despite the fact that Johnny should be trying to distance himself from the blonde spit fire, the idea of her close proximity brought an undeniable smile to his face.

"Maxie?" He called out. With in seconds a very perky looking Maxie Jones popped out of nowhere with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Hey Johnny!" She exclaimed. He looked at her curiously for a long moment, pausing to detect any changes in the surrounding air.

"What kind of trouble are you up to?" He enquired. She feigned shock.

"Trouble? I'm not causing any trouble. I was just trying to talk a little sense into Ric. You know… take advantage of the situation a little." She smiled innocently.

"She's trying to blackmail me." Ric shouted from behind the curtain.

"Maxie, we're already blackmailing him. Remember? He feeds everyone some story about a business trip and we don't give his lawyer ex wife a bunch of incriminating evidence that proves he's been blackmailing Claudia, and doing so using a mess of illegal tricks." Johnny explained. Maxie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms below her chest.

"I know that." She sounded exasperated. "But I just thought that since he's blackmailing Claudia and we're blackmailing him to stop blackmailing Claudia… one teeny tiny more blackmail wouldn't hurt." She smiled at her brilliance.

"And what exactly were you trying to blackmail him for?" Johnny asked, fighting to keep the amused smirk off of his face.

"She wanted me to trump up some bogus charges against Crimson's competitors. That's fraud you know! We could all get put away for a long time if someone found out!" Ric protested in outrage.

"Fine, fine… it was just a suggestion. Jeez, don't pop a stitch." She muttered, shooting him a glare.

"Alright, now that we've settled that, it's time to get down to business." Johnny steered the conversation back on track.

"Am I free to go master?" Ric replied flatly.

"Wait just a minute. We need to iron out the terms of our agreement." He responded.

"What's there to iron out. I'll leave Claudia alone and I'll pretend that your thug didn't try and off me. Remember? I was away on a business trip." He replied anxiously. It seemed as though Ric were suffering from a case of cabin fever.

"Okay, good. And I will make sure Claudia backs off of you." Johnny added.

"And the files you stole?"

"They won't make it into the police department's hands as long as you stick to your part of the deal." He assured Ric.

"Good."

"Well… it's been a pleasure keeping you hostage Lansing." Johnny smirked.

"Oh please, he was a terrible prisoner. I've been held hostage like a zillion times and I can tell you from experience, it doesn't all have to be a big pity party. But all Richard here could do was wine." Maxie interrupted.

"My mistake Ms. Jones, I'll try and work on my captive conduct." He sarcastically replied.

"You should seriously consider that." She fired back. He rolled his eyes and stood up to stretch his muscles.

"So, Hunter gave you the okay?" Johnny questioned.

"He did indeed." Ric answered.

"I guess you can go then."

"Thank god." Ric muttered before walking towards the door. And with out another glance in their direction, Ric was gone.

"Well, now what?" Maxie asked, looking at Johnny. His eyes caught hers and the possibilities were endless.

**00000 00000 00000 **

"You are, insanely beautiful."

"And you, are just plain insane."

"Well yeah but, my eyes are sharp. I know what I like." Johnny smirked confidently. As he and Maxie picked up their scattered clothes which had littered the garage floor, he took a moment to let her presence wash over him.

"Sweet talker." She smiled coyly. The pair had just given in to over a weeks worth of temptation and they were currently enjoying the afterglow.

"I'm not that sweet Maxie, you know that." He reminded her. She laughed and threw him his shirt. Catching it with on hand, he through her a wide grin in return.

"We suck at staying away from each other." She mentioned casually, looking down to button her blouse.

"Always have." He responded with a shrug. The situation they were in worried Johnny more than he let on.

"I guess. But isn't it like, more important now? You're knee deep in mob crap and I've got Lulu and her lame scheming to deal with." She mentioned.

"Is she still trying to get you fired." He dodged the majority of her previous comment.

"Yes, and don't avoid the subject. Johnny I need to know, how bad are things right now. For you… and for me." She questioned, looking him dead in the eyes.

"You're right, we do suck at staying away from each other." He replied coldly. "We'll have to try harder, much harder." He finished, turning to walk away. Maxie rushed to his side and grabbed his arm.

"Johnny, stop. You know that's not what I meant. I'm not some princess that goes running at the first sign of gunfire." She defended herself.

"Well, maybe you should run. That's the logical thing to do Maxie, that's the right thing to do." He told her sternly.

"Then that alone should tell you I'm not going anywhere. I don't do what's logical or what's right. I do what I want. And what I want, is you. So deal with it." She fired back, never breaking eye contact. Johnny sighed and shook his head.

"Maxie…"

"I told you, I'm not a scared little princess. But I'm also not some idiot who thinks bullets will magically repel off of me. I get that things are dangerous. I only asked you how serious things were because I want to be prepared. I want to be smart about things." She explained.

"Smart about things?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, smart-ish at least. I mean, not so smart that we have to stop having mind blowing sex or anything. You know, smart enough to pass the class but not so smart that I become some sniveling dork with a cowlick and Dorito breath." She explained. Johnny twisted his face into a look of confusion before shaking it off and forging ahead.

"Okay well, we should probably just limit our contact then. You shouldn't seek me out. I'll come to you when I think things are safe." He told her.

"So, what…? I'm supposed to sit around and wait until you get your ass into gear and decide I'm worth a visit." She cried in out rage. He closed his eyes, knowing he had worded things wrong. This was Maxie after all.

"Maxie…" He sighed.

"Just kidding." She beamed, causing him to look up in surprise. "I know what you meant. Come on Johnny, I'm totally hot. Way too hot to be some guy's booty call. You know that. I know that. And when all this is over, you'll make it up to me." As she said the last part of her sentiment, Johnny has an inkling that her kind smile was simply the veil of a threat. He would make this up to her. And then some.

"You know it." He remarked, grabbing her chin and leaning down for a soft kiss. She let herself melt into his arms. The world around them disappeared. And for just a moment, they believed that every promise they had ever made just might hold a little magic. Enough magic to get them both through this alive. Because that would be enough for them. Maybe not for other people, but for them it would be enough.

**00000 00000 00000 **

It had been days, weeks really, since Lulu had set her mind on destroying Maxie Jones and everything she held dear. But with each passing day, Lulu only felt that she was getting farther and farther from her goal. Eventually she was struck by a frightening realization; she didn't even know what her goal was anymore. It had been so clear at one point. But now things were getting messy. Too messy. And with out her clear cut goal to guide her through the day, Lulu wasn't sure what she was doing anymore.

"Do you even know what you're doing anymore?" Ethan asked her, with startling insight.

"Excuse me?" She snapped, with less fire than she had intended.

"The plan. Do you even know what the plan is? Because a week ago you were all gung ho about vengeance and what not. But now… you've lost your edge." He explained patiently.

"I have not!" She argued in a child like manor, causing Ethan to smile.

"Have to." He quipped softly. Lulu sighed and sunk deeper into her chair. Ethan had stopped by Crimson to confer with Lulu. Maxie was out on an assignment and Kate was no where to be found. The two schemers had the place to themselves.

"I just… I don't know." She responded lamely.

"Are you having second thoughts?" He asked gently.

"No!" She replied immediately. But then her face changed and she looked away. "Maybe… I guess I am. A little. Maybe, well maybe we need to tone it down a little." She suggested.

"How so?" He asked, looking intrigued.

"Well, getting Maxie fired and trying to keep her away from Johnny, it's too much." She explained.

"So we pick one to focus on." He guessed. She nodded. "The job would probably hit her harder, yeah?" He asked. Lulu hesitated. A week ago she would have agreed. But after talking to Johnny, seeing him react, she couldn't help but think that things with him and Maxie were more serious that they let on.

"I think Maxie could use a dose of her own medicine. And the pill she's always prescribed is a healthy serving of heartbreak." Lulu smiled, knowing that it didn't reach her eyes.

"Alright, so let's break those two love birds up." Ethan grinned.

"Let's." She replied. It wasn't the same anymore. She had moved past hurt, straight to anger, and now the sizzling embers of her sorrow had only left room for one thing; loneliness. She was completely and utterly lonely. She missed being held and loved. She missed joking with friends and smiling wildly. She missed Johnny. And worst of all… she missed Maxie.

**00000 00000 00000**

Sometimes at night, when the darkness would caress her skin, Maxie would lie awake. She would indulge in the twisted memories of her past, she would let herself drown in each sorrow. Some nights it was the echo of gunshots amongst the tantalizing taste of cotton candy. Other nights she would let herself imagine the outline of a body, fragile and cover by cloth, unmoving with a stillness that only death could bring. Flashing through her mind at rapid speed, she would memorize each image, each moment. She held on to the sounds and the smells, even the erratic beating of her heart as it sunk to her feet. She would hold on to it all. She would be haunted by it all. She was alive and they were dead. So, she would be haunted. Always haunted. Because it was what she deserved.

**00000 00000 00000**

As Maxie made her way to her car, parked outside of Johnny's garage, she swallowed hard. Tonight would be a restless night, she could feel it. The twang of the air and the whistle of the breeze carried her to her car. She didn't dare look back to see Johnny's dark eyes watching her from the garage window. She wasn't the kind of girl who looked back.

She unlocked her car swiftly and made a move to climb in. But the sight of something on the seat stopped her cold. She reacted immediately, reaching out with a shaking hand. The smooth touch of paper slid underneath her hand as she grasped the note that had sent a shiver through her entire body.

_You look lovely beneath the starlight. Your boyfriend will look lovely beneath the ground._

Maxie shut her eyes and reopened them, hoping something had changed. It hadn't. The sound of the garage door startled her to life.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked, walking towards her with concern etched across his face. She swallowed hard and prepared herself. The panic she felt, the terror, it had to be concealed. Johnny couldn't know how scared she was. He had to know that she could handle this. Handle him.

"Maxie, what is that?" He asked, standing in front of her.

"A note." She said stupidly, handing him the paper. She watched as his face turned from concerned, to shocked, to angry, and finally settling on a blanck look. A look that she knew all too well.

"This was in your car?" He asked in a clipped tone. A business like tone.

"Yes." She answered shortly. Now was not the time for her to reassure him or feed him falsities. Now was the time to step up and be the woman that she knew she could be. She would stay calm. She would not make things worst. And she would stand by him.

"Was your car locked?"

"No."

"Did you see anyone or anything out here?"

"No, nothing."

"Are you sure it wasn't there before you went inside."

"I'm sure."

"Did you notice anyone following you here?"

"No." She answered with certainty. Johnny sighed and looked away.

"You know what this means don't you?" He asked, looking towards her again. She remained silent. Unwilling to say the words. "You and I…" he began to speak again, but she cut him off.

"Don't. Don't say it." She interrupted firmly.

"We have to end things Maxie." And those were the words that would haunt her tonight.


End file.
